Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good original German WWII Luftwaffe sheepskin Pelzmütze winter field cap, dated 1942 and constructed for severe cold-weather service. Made from multiple panels of whitened sheepskin with the natural hide to the exterior and dark brown wool to the interior, the cap incorporates fold-down ear and neck protection and carries original Luftwaffe insignia to the front. This type of fur cap emerged from the German military’s urgent effort to improve cold-weather equipment following the disastrous winter of 1941-1942 on the Eastern Front.

The severe conditions encountered during the first winter of the German campaign in the Soviet Union exposed major deficiencies in existing winter clothing. Improvised civilian garments and locally obtained cold-weather equipment were widely used while the German military developed more suitable purpose-made winter clothing. New winter garments were tested during 1942, and improved cold-weather equipment began reaching troops for the winter of 1942-1943. Period examples and specialist references document a wide assortment of fur caps rather than a single rigidly standardized model.

This cap follows the familiar M43-style or mountain-cap form, with fold-down side and rear panels designed to cover the wearer’s ears and neck. Although collectors frequently refer to these as M43 Pelzmützen, the fur caps themselves did not conform to one officially standardized M43 model in the same sense as the later wool Einheitsfeldmütze.

This example is a high quality, multi-panel, patch work, sheepskin construction winter cap with the natural hide to the exterior and dark brown sheep’s wool to the interior. The front center of the cap has a second pattern, machine embroidered, Luftwaffe eagle in light grey threads on a cut-out Luftwaffe blue/grey wool base with a separate machine embroidered, padded national tri-color cockade situated just below eagle.

The cap features fold down side and back panels with the panels, held in position at the top of the cap by a thread loop and a corresponding button, which has unfortunately pulled out on this example, like many we see. When the side and back panels are in the upright position the sheep’s wool is visible to the exterior. The back and side panels were designed to be folded down to protect the wearer’s ears and neck and the panels could be secured with the fabric loop and button closed under the wearer’s chin as required.

The fold down side panels each have a small circular cut-out with a corresponding, overlapping, horizontal, "U" shaped closure panel with a single, brown painted, sheet metal closure snap to each. We have not opened the snaps, as due to heavy oxidation staining and rusting to the metal, the fabric around them have become extremely weak. If we tried to remove the snaps, they would break. Please do not use the snaps!

The side panels also have an additional male snap enabling the horizontal, "U" shaped closure panels to be secured in the open position as required. We checked the interior of the hat, and there is only one small white label, stamped 76 1942, with 76 likely being the size.

Overall condition is fair with moderate wear exhibited along with oxidation staining around the snaps. There is some flaking of the exterior lightweight hide, as well as a few small tears. There is also some interior fur visible in the exterior stitching.

With its 1942-dated label, original Luftwaffe insignia, whitened sheepskin exterior, dark brown wool lining, fold-down ear and neck protection, and clearly service-worn condition, this is an appealing early example of German WWII cold-weather headgear strongly associated with service in the colder theaters of the war, particularly the Eastern Front. Please do not handle the snaps.