BACKGROUND: Following the army’s lead the Luftwaffe introduced the M43 field cap on September 27TH 1943 to replace the Flyer's and Mountain caps then in use. The design of the M43 field cap was based on the earlier M42 Feldmütze, (Overseas cap), and the Mountain Troopers Bergmütze, (Mountain Cap), with minor variations.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Late war production, light weight, ribbed, Luftwaffe blue/grey, wool/rayon, blend construction cap, features fold down side and back panels with a scalloped front with two pebbled, magnetic sheet metal button closure at the front center. The back and side panels were designed to be folded down to protect the wearers ears and neck and the scalloped front section could be secured with the buttons closed under the wearers chin. The front center of the cap has a machine embroidered, second pattern Luftwaffe eagle in silvery/grey threads and a national tri-color cockade in black, red and white threads, on a Luftwaffe blue/grey wool trapezoid base. The trapezoidal base is original machine stitched to the cap. The cap has an extended cloth covered visor with an internal cardboard stiffener with a subtly raised lip to the top of the forward edge and a single row of reinforcement stitching to the bottom of the forward edge. The interior of the cap is fully lined in light grey rayon.