Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive service used German WWII Heer Army Medical Officer's Schirmmütze, or visor cap, with a highly desirable crushed saddle form crown and measured size of approximately 56cm. Constructed from Feldgrau field gray doeskin weave wool with a dark bottle green Flaschengrün cap band and Medizinblau medical blue piping, the cap retains its silver bullion officer chin cords and embroidered officer quality insignia. The combination of Medical branch piping, saddle form profile, bullion insignia, and honest service wear gives this example especially strong collector appeal.

The crown stiffener has been removed, allowing the sides and rear of the cap to settle naturally into the desirable saddle form, or “crushed,” profile. The traditional high forward crown remains evident, giving the cap the classic officer appearance favored by many collectors.

The cap body is made from fine Feldgrau doeskin weave wool with a wide dark bottle green badge cloth band. Matching Medizinblau, or medical blue, piping runs around the upper crown and along both edges of the cap band. This was the Heer Waffenfarbe associated with the Sanitätstruppe, or Military Medical Service.

Silver bullion chin cords are fitted across the front and secured by standard silvered pebbled buttons on either side, identifying the cap as officer quality.

The front is decorated with a bullion embroidered insignia set consisting of a Heer eagle on the upper crown and an open oak leaf wreath surrounding a metal tricolor cockade on the cap band. The embroidered insignia remains bright and attractive with little wear or damage.

The metal cockade shows some loss to the original silver wash on the zinc components, leaving areas of darker aged patina.

We did note stitching passing through the interior lining behind the insignia. This may indicate that one or both insignia were reapplied at some point, although without further evidence we cannot determine exactly when the work was done.

The visor is constructed from pressed Vulkanfibre with a smooth black leather look upper surface and a checkered beige underside. The upper finish shows light edge wear together with an attractive pattern of age related crazing and checking across the black enamel surface.

The interior is lined with cream colored ribbed rayon faux silk. The lining shows staining from perspiration and body oils, particularly across the crown, together with some localized fraying. Stronger original color remains visible around the protected edges.

The original diamond shaped celluloid sweat shield is completely missing, although the perimeter stitching remains.

The sweatband is genuine leather and is installed over a black velvet plush spacer between the band and the cap body. The stitching remains well retained and the leather is still supple, although it shows clear staining and wear from service use.

The cap measures approximately 56cm using a hat sizer.

Overall condition is very good for a service worn officer cap. The colors remain well preserved, but the exterior shows considerable use. There is some fraying at the very front of the crown above the internal support for the insignia, and much of the original fuzzy nap has worn away from the exposed doeskin wool. The original surface texture remains much stronger on protected areas beneath the crown.

There is also some light moth damage, but no major structural loss or other serious damage that we can see.

For the Heer Medical or officer headgear collector, this is a particularly appealing example due to its Medizinblau branch piping, silver bullion chin cords, embroidered officer insignia, desirable saddle form crown, and measured 56cm size. The missing sweat shield, interior staining, localized fraying, light mothing, and possible insignia reapplication are fully disclosed, while the strong overall profile and genuine service wear give the cap excellent period character.

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.