Original Item: Only One Available. This is a field gray fez that was part of the combat uniform of the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS - Handschar (1st Croatian), a military detachment composed of Muslims from Bosnia, Croatia, and Herzegovina in occupied Yugoslavia. This was the first non-Germanic Waffen-SS division, and its formation marked the expansion of the Waffen-SS into a multi-ethnic military force.

The creation of the 13th SS was authorized by AH in 1943, with the original purpose being to combat Tito's partisans. Through recruitment and conscription, the unit had 26,000 soldiers within a few months. The group was commanded by German or ethnic German officers, and the uniforms were designed to reflect the religion and ethnicity of the recruits. Later, the Fez was also issued to local volunteers from other areas in the Balkans.

There were two versions of the fez: a field gray model to be worn in combat and while on duty and a red model for parades, marching exercises and while off duty. We have had a number of the Red Parade Fez's, with a much smaller number of the combat fez. This example looks to have seen some real use in service, giving it a great look!

This example is offered in overall very good service used condition, and it is now missing the tassel, which looks to have become detached from the central "stalk" which is still present. The color is overall a fit faded, and there is staining, wear, and just a bit of mothing to the exterior. The insignia show some staining but look great and are definitely period correct. They are sewn on using black thread on the front and green thread on the back, as with other examples we have seen. While the tassel is gone, we can still see the tack stitches on the rear that would have held it in place.

The inside has a thin black leather sweatband present, however it has had the stitching at the bottom attaching it fail on the majority of the circumference, with about 25% still remaining. We can see traces of a label on on side, but it is not legible. This is definitely not an example that was "rescued" from a depot unissued during the war! We measured it, and it seems to be about a size 556-56cm.

This example is 100% authentic: there are and have been numerous fakes on the market, this is not one of those. Ready to display!