Original Item: Only One Available. During the Pre-WWII years in Germany, virtually all aspects of the government fell under control of the NSDAP, and the Forestry service was no exception. Germany has a long tradition of hunting, and has many famous forest areas throughout the country. The government set up an office of forestry to help manage the natural resources. Upon the arrival of the Third Reich, forestry uniforms were outfitted with swas symbols, resulting in items like this Forestry Official Schirmmütze (Peaked Cap).

The design of the caps were not nearly as standardized as the Army or Airforce, so the colors used could vary from gray to green, to black for the band. What remained the same for all however was the dark "forest green" piping used around the top of the crown, and around the central band. This lightly used example has a lovely "Crushed" shape, accomplished by removing the crown support stiffener ring. This rumpled "saddle-form" shape is highly desirable, and the cap features a very nice "doeskin" weave wool body, which is a gray green color, similar to the Heer Army feldgrau, but definitely with much more green in the dye mix. The band is a lovely forest green color matching the piping, which is a bit darker than the flaschengrün (dark bottle-green) used by the Heer. However in this case there is a black ribbed cap band over that, which is that the insignia are attached to.

It is decorated with a well detailed stamped aluminum eagle insignia on the front crown, and is the correct design for forestry eagles, which can look to the left or right. There is also a very nice aluminum bullion embroidered forestry oak leaf wreath surrounding an aluminum tri-color cockade on the black band. This wreath is far wider than the standard Heer style, correct for the forestry service. The insignia overall look great, with no oxidation or damage, and the red felt insert is still vibrant. The cap features an excellent condition silver bullion chinstrap attached by pebbled silver buttons, indicating an Officer or equivalent rank in the Forestry Service. The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting just a bit of wear along the edge and is checkered beige on the underside. The top shows a lovely pattern of fine checking and crazing due to age.

The cap is lined with lovely cream colored rayon faux silk, which is ribbed on the sides, and shows light wear and some staining on the top from sweat and possible weather exposure. The celluloid sweat shield diamond on the top is fully intact, with complete stitching, and there is a quality mark still fully visible.

Sonderklasse
STIRNDRUCKFREI
D R G M
GES. GESCH

The sweatband is tan finished leather, which is still supple with intact stitching holding it to the body of the cap, showing some wear and staining around the forehead area. It has another Stirndruckfrei embossed marking on the right side, while the left side has two oval metal initials reading G K. There is no size listed, but our cap sizer measured it to a 58cm. We can see some wear to the cap, especially on the black band, which shows some mothing, and there is also a bit of mothing on the front upper crown. Aside from that it shows only light wear, with the colors well retained, and would be hard to improve upon.

A lovely lightly used example of a classic hat worn by German Forestry Service Officers during WWII.

The Forstverein (Forestry Association) was a civil union, founded in 1899, whose members were either Foresters or Forest owners and was founded to give more "power" to their interests when dealing with the Governments of the states or the Reich. Their "targets" were mainly economical with some "spreads" of caring for nature and forests. The aim of the association was: to take care of the German forest, the promotion of forest economy and science and the exchange of personal ideas. After the NSDAP took over Germany, the various Forestry Groups were folded under the NSDAP umbrella.

The Forstschutzkommando (FSK), or simply Forstschutz was a uniformed and armed para-military security formation raised in late 1939. Composed of some 10,000 volunteers, it was recruited from forestry officials and forest workers and headed by Landesforstmeister Ernst Boden. Hermann Göring, as the Reichsforstmeister, was its "supreme commander".

After having received brief training, the first 2,000 so-called Forstschützen were put into action in wooded areas in occupied Poland. Here, they provided security for lumber transports and -storage places and sawmills, as well as being employed to combat wood-thieves and poachers and to arrest "unauthorized" persons in the forests. They were authorized to use firearms in the case of resistance or attempted escapes.

In July 1941, the Forstschutz took charge of the Bialowies forest, a former hunting ground of the Czar and important area for the lumber industry. The civilian population was evacuated from Göring's new Reichsforst, with their villages and farms being burnt to the ground and two small Jewish communities being liquidated as well.

In the summer of 1942, Forstschutz units were dispatched to the Reichs Commissariats of "Ostland" and the Ukraine. Here, they were used in anti-partisan operations, suffering significant casualties in the process themselves.

Apart from their original security tasks and anti-partisan operations, Forstschutz personnel were involved in the capture and liquidation of Jews, who had managed to keep from being arrested or who had escaped from Ghettoes and were hiding in the forests. Apparently, Forstschutz men were also actively involved in the liquidation of Jewish Ghettoes if regular SS- and Police forces were not available.

Later, during the large-scale German fighting retreat, Forstschutz units even participated in military combat engagements in an infantry role.