Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good original German WWII Heer enlisted man’s M36 wool greatcoat, dated 1936 and later fitted for service with the Gebirgsjäger, or German Army mountain troops. Constructed from field-gray wool with the characteristic dark bottle-green lay-down collar of the early M36 pattern, the coat retains its double-breasted front, waist pockets, shoulder straps, and a machine-embroidered Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss sleeve badge on the right upper arm. The combination of the 1936 depot date and later mountain-troop insignia makes this a particularly interesting example of an early-war greatcoat that evidently remained in service as the Heer’s uniform system evolved.

The great coat matches very well with the M36 pattern, with a dark bottle-green (flaschengrün) "badge cloth" lay down collar. It features two flap covered waist pockets and the classic double-breasted front closure, with five pebbled buttons on each side, along with a hook and loop fastener for the collar. These are all marked on the back with A&S and are magnetic, so likely steel and zinc construction. The paint is well-retained on the buttons.

There is a Gebirgsjäger Alpen-Edelweiß (Mountain Noble White) machine embroidered sleeve badge on the right sleeve. The Edelweiss was officially authorized for Heer mountain troops in May 1939 and was worn on the right upper sleeve. Surviving examples and specialist references document the badge as a defining insignia of Gebirgsjäger personnel. It has the correct green leaves for an army issued badge, as well as the "rope and piton" border.

The button attached style Enlisted man shoulder straps (Schulterklappen) attached to the tunic are in very good condition, made with the correct rough feldgrau wool used later in the war. There are no rank pips attached onto the shoulder boards, indicating the rank of Soldat, equivalent to a U.S. Army Private. The piping around the shoulder straps is hellgrün (light green), the Corps Color (Waffenfarbe) for Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops), Skijäger (ski troops), and Jäger (light infantry troops).

The overall condition is fair with moderate moth damage across the collar and some minor moth tracking across the exterior.

The interior lining is stamped with an OM maker’s logo over 1936 over 2W, likely a size. The interior shows minor service wear but has held up a lot better than the exterior.

The M36 greatcoat was one of the defining cold-weather garments of the early-war German Army. Its dark bottle-green collar distinguished early examples from later simplified greatcoats, while its heavy wool construction made it a standard field garment in cold and wet conditions.

This example is particularly interesting because its 1936 date predates the official 1939 introduction of the mountain-troop Edelweiss sleeve badge. Rather than representing a contradiction, that combination provides a useful illustration of how early-issued garments could remain in service and be updated with later branch insignia.

With its 1936-dated interior marking, dark bottle-green M36 collar, light-green piped enlisted shoulder straps, right-sleeve Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss badge, complete double-breasted front, and honest moth and service wear, this is a strong representative example of an early German Army greatcoat later associated with the Gebirgsjäger.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to sleeve: 26"
Shoulder to shoulder: 18"
Chest width: 19"
Waist: ~23"
Front length: 50"

Overcoats in various forms have been used by militaries since at least the late 18th century, and were especially associated with winter campaigns, such as Napoleon's Russian campaign. The full-length overcoat was once again popularized by the use during World War I of the trench coat.

Stereotypically, overcoats used by the army tended to be single-breasted, while navies often used double-breasted overcoats. Overcoats continued to be used as battle dress until the mid-1940s and 1950s, when they were deemed impractical. However, in colder countries, such as the former Soviet Union, they continue to be issued and used. When more efficient clothing and synthetic fibers became readily available, the overcoat began to be phased out even there.