BACKGROUND: The severe cold encountered on the Russian front in the winter of 1941 found the Germans completely unprepared not only in heat retaining cold weather garments but also snow camouflage garments. This resulted in numerous, hastily improvised and makeshift heat retaining and snow camouflage items being utilized including everything from civilian winter clothing to white bed sheets. After the winter of 1941 the Oberkommando des Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), recognized the need for heavier winter clothing and testing began in the spring of 1942 to develop suitable garments. In April 1942 Hitler approved the chosen design, and the first models were issued in the autumn of that year, in the reversible blue/grey/white colourations, which was modified to camouflage pattern/white combinations in 1943. Included with these new garments were heavy, padded, reversible winter suits which consisted of a parka, pants, hoods and mittens. The winter garments were issued in September and returned to the units clothing depot in April for storage, repair and cleaning to be reissued the following September. Although the suits proved quite effective they were very difficult to keep clean and launder which resulted in regulations dictating that the white side was only to be worn on the exterior when absolutely necessary.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Three quarter length, cotton/rayon blend construction double breasted styled, Luftwaffe blue/grey, reversible to white, parka with a repeating, quilted square pattern and internal padding. The parka features an overlapping, vertical, five of the six button front closure with large interior and small exterior wind flaps. The parka has two, diagonally angled, slash hip pockets with straight edged button down flaps. The parka has a tunnel looped, fit adjustment draw strap at the bottom edge of the tail skirt. The straight cut sleeve cuffs each have a small vertical slash to the inside seam and a horizontal, tunnel looped, fit adjustment strap with corresponding buttons. The upper sleeves each have a molded black bakelite button to both the inner and outer seams, for wear of identification armbands by front line troops. The parka has a dual-ply, unpadded, integral hood, large enough to accommodate a helmet, with a tunnel looped drawstring to the forward edge. The parka reverses to white with all the same features as the blue/grey side. The parka has an internal, heat retaining padding through-out. Buttons look to be all original stitching. One of the white buttons is missing front the winter side. The parkas were designed large enough to fit over the standard service uniform and this example is roughly size 46" chest.