Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely condition Luftwaffe Officer's Schirmmütze Visor Cap, which has been fitted with a lightweight white summer crown. The design of this cap is very similar to a naval "combination cap", and allows different crowns to be installed depending on the time of year. The white crown is "whipcord woven" light canvas, while the actual lining of the cap is permanently attached to the liner band, and is lightweight green rayon. There is a support for the insignia, but there is no crown stiffener installed, giving it a lovely "Crushed" saddle-form shape, which everyone loves. It even comes in a lovely 12"W x 8 ¼"H Travel Case, which originally probably also held several different crowns to match the uniform the officer was wearing at the time.

This Officer's Schirmmütze Visor Cap is a very high quality manufactured example, and features some of the original Luftwaffe blue gray Fliegerblau (Flier's Blue) wool on the bottom of the lower band, with a wide black ribbed wool cap band. This is bordered by two rows of fine silver bullion piping around the circumference, without any bullion on the crown. The cap is fronted by an aluminum bullion embroidered Luftwaffe insignia pair that includes a silver bullion Luftwaffe eagle on a wool backing above a bullion embroidered high relief silver bullion oak leaf wreath with stylized wings and a metal tri color cockade. The insignia are in very good shape, showing some overall oxidation of the aluminum bullion due to age, especially on the cap band.

The visor on this cap is the standard "vulcanfibre" with a gloss top, which shows a lovely pattern of checking and crazing due to age. It also still has the black patent faux leather stitched around the edge retained completely, definitely a rarity. The stitching is nearly completely intact, and there is very little degradation of the material. The bottom of the visor is textured green, which is what we usually see on Luftwaffe officer visor caps. Above this is the correct bullion officer's chin strap, retained by pebbled buttons, which shows some wear and light oxidation.

The interior is lined with green rayon, and the celluloid sweat shield diamond is still fully intact. Underneath there is a logo and maker name of Holters Uniformen / BERLIN W/50. The perimeter has a gray finished leather sweatband, which is still quite supple, and is embossed with DEUTSCHES LEDER (German Leather) on the left side. The stitching is well retained except on the forehead area, where it has pulled out over much of the rear of the visor. There is no size marked but the cap seems to be about a 58cm / US 7 ¼.

Overall condition is very good, and it would make an impressive part of any collection. Ready to display!

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.