Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great wartime pattern German WWII Heer Army Infantry Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee (Junior NCO) M-36 Uniform Tunic, showing only light wear. It is in fantastic "well-rested" condition, with no signs of modifications, and has some very interesting aspects to it, particularly the "traditions" collar insignia.

The German military had many units with long and storied histories, which were ended with the Empire at the close of WWI. However, some units were renamed, and kept their traditions alive through the Weimar period, and when rearmament began, those units would often use specific "traditional" insignia based on their history. The collar litzen on this tunic are shaped like those used by the Garde Grenadier units during WWI, and we believe were used by a specific unit during WWII, however we have unfortunately been unable to successfully identify which, as they were often only issued for a short time. Shown in the pictures is an example of WWI Garde Grenadier litzen, and they are similar. They also do look a lot like RAD Labor Corps collar tabs, so it is possible that they are those, however they are not constructed like RAD tabs usually would be, and are also directly applied, without any backing, so we believe they are for traditions. We have not had a tunic with this type of insignia before, and we have examined them and the stitching thoroughly with a UV light, and have found no discrepancies.

The tunic features four pleated pockets with scalloped flaps and painted pebbled aluminum buttons, and is closed with five painted pebbled zinc alloy buttons on the right breast flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap. All buttons look to be maker marked on the reverse, though this can be hard to see due to oxidation on some buttons. There is also the usual hook and loop fastener on the collar.

The interior of the tunic is lined with gray green light canvas, as typically used on EM/NCO tunics. It still has mostly clear original markings on the inner left breast, the usual place to see these on enlisted and NCO tunics:-

Hermann Stork
5 /  / 41
35      38
/  32  /
61      53

[B. II. 41]

The last line indicates it was processed through the Berlin clothing depot in 1941, right during the early war period. There is also a sewn on paper size tab on the inside lower right, probably from the depot.

It is adorned with the usual rank and branch insignia used on German tunics. The attractive Army breast eagle is the correct 1940 Pattern BeVO embroidered type with grey embroidery on a field gray background, and is very neatly machine stitched to the chest in a fashion typical of wartime German tailor work. 

The collar is wrapped in flaschengrün (dark bottle-green) wool, and there are EM/NCO traditions litzen collar patches on both sides, made from wide gray tresse. The colored stripes (mittelstreifen) on the litzen are Weiß (white) braided rayon, the Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) during WWII for Infanterie (Infantry) and Motorisiert Infanterie (Motorized Infantry). 

The sew-in style Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee Schulterklappen (Junior NCO shoulder straps) attached to the tunic are in great condition, made from the correct field fabric and featuring a row of silver NCO tresse going around the perimeter, open at the ends. There are no rank "pips" installed on the shoulder straps, indicating the rank of Unteroffizier, an NCO rank equivalent to a U.S. Army Sergeant. There are also aluminum number 1 cyphers on both, most likely for the unit that the "traditions" collar insignia are for. It has the correct white piping around the edge for infantry. There are two thread loops on the left breast pocket, where an award was originally attached.

Overall condition is very good, showing only light wear from service. There is very little mothing we can see, and the colors are well retained. There is some age toning and fading, as expected from a tunic of this age. A great German WWII Infantry NCO M36 tunic, with a great set of garde grenadier traditions collar tabs. Ready to research and display!

Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 8"
Shoulder to sleeve: 21”
Shoulder to shoulder: 13"
Chest width: 16”
Waist: 15.5"
Hip: 18"
Front length: 25.5"

Field Tunic (Feldbluse) Model 1936
Terms such as M40 and M43 were never designated by the Wehrmacht, but are names given to the different versions of the Model 1936 field tunic by modern collectors, to discern between variations, as the M36 was steadily simplified and tweaked due to production time problems and combat experience.

When the NSDAP came to power in early 1933 the Reichswehr, the armed forces of the Weimar Republic, were near the end of a two-year project to redesign the Army Feldbluse (field-blouse). Beginning in that year the new tunic was issued to the Reichsheer and then the rapidly growing Wehrmacht Heer, although minor design changes continued to be made until the appearance of the standardized Heeres Dienstanzug Modell 1936. The M36 tunic still retained the traditional Imperial and Reichswehr uniform color of grey-green "field gray" (feldgrau) wool, but incorporated four front patch pockets with scalloped flaps and pleats (on Reichswehr tunics the lower pockets were internal and angled). The front was closed with five buttons rather than the previous eight, and the collar and shoulder straps were of a dark bottle-green instead of the Reichswehr grey. Compared to the Weimar-era uniforms the skirt of the feldbluse was shorter and the tailoring was more form-fitting due to Germany's adoption of mechanized warfare: soldiers now spent much time in the confined space of a vehicle and a shorter jacket was less likely to pick up dirt from the seats. It also included an internal suspension system, whereby a soldier could hang an equipment belt on a series of hooks outside of the tunic. These hooks were connected to two straps inside the lining, which spread the weight of equipment without having to use external equipment suspenders. The M36 was produced and issued until the very end of the war, though successive patterns became predominant.

SS field uniforms were of similar appearance externally but to fit their larger patches had a wider, feldgrau collar, and the lower pockets were of an angled slash type similar to the black or grey SS service-dress. The second button of an SS Feldbluse was positioned somewhat lower, so that it could be worn open-collar with a necktie. Due to supply problems the SS were often issued army uniforms.