BACKGROUND: The development of SS camouflage items was initiated by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler in 1935 when he tasked the Reichsführung-SS, (National Leadership of the SS), to begin research of new camouflage patterns and garments for use by the fledgling SS-VT, SS-Verfugüngstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops). In late 1936 and early 1937 the first SS camouflage garments were issued to personnel of the SS-VT Standarte Deutschland for field testing and evaluation. The first items evaluated were the Quarter shelters/ponchos, followed by steel helmet covers, face masks and smocks. As the war continued various other clothing items were produced in the assorted camouflage patterns. Originally the camouflage patterns were all produced in the time consuming manual screen printing until the development of the machine roller printing in 1940. By the end of the war no fewer then ten assorted camouflage patterns had been developed and used by the SS. After the devastating winter of 1941/42 on the Russian front the high command saw 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 colorations, which was modified to camouflage pattern/white combinations in 1943. Included with these new garments were heavy, padded, reversible winter hood. The SS followed the army’s lead and new winter camouflage items were issued in October 1943. The machine rolled, screen printed, Oak-leaf "B" pattern camouflage was a late 1942, early 1943 variation of the Oak-leaf "A", pattern that was originally developed in 1941 and was utilized through to 1945 for a wide variety of garments. Of Note: The winter garments were a standard issue item and were distributed to all EM/NCO’s for the winter season, (September 15TH to April 15TH), and were to be returned to the units storage depot at the end of the season for cleaning, repair and reissue the following year.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Three quarter length, cotton/rayon blend construction, double breasted style parka with machine roller printed, autumn Oak-leaf "B" repeating splotch pattern camouflage to one side in shades of orange/tans and browns, reversible to white with an internal ersatz padding. The parka features a large, overlapping, vertical, six button front closure with a smaller overlapping wind flap. The parka has two, diagonally angled, slash hip pockets with scalloped edged, button down flaps. The parka has a tunnel loop and a small vertical slash to each side of the front closure positioned horizontally at the waistline and designed for a fit adjustment drawstrap. Drawstrap is still present. The sleeve cuffs each have a tunnel loop and a small vertical slash with an inserted, button holed, fabric fit adjustment strap. The small vertical slash at the waistline and cuffs permitted the fit adjustment straps to be utilized on both the camouflage and white sides. The elbow portion of the sleeves each have a dual-ply, vertically rectangular reinforcement panel machine stitched in place. The parka has an unpadded, dual-ply, integral hood, which is large enough to accommodate a helmet, with a tunnel looped drawstring and four small tapering darts to the forward edge. The hood drawstring is complete. The parka has an internal, heat retaining padding through-out. Buttons look to be mostly original stitching, while some are replaced. Roughly size 36" chest. Nice!