Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Infantry EM/NCO M38 Schiffchen overseas cap, dated 1940 and showing light to moderate service wear. It is constructed from field gray Feldgrau wool with an olive colored lightweight canvas lining and retains its original 1939 pattern BeVo style eagle, white Infantry soutache, and national tricolor cockade.

The M38 overseas cap was standard field and service headgear for the Heer and was commonly known by the German nickname Schiffchen, meaning “little ship,” because of its folded boat-like shape.

The exterior is made from field gray wool with the characteristic flap running around the full circumference of the cap and forming a scalloped front. The right side ventilation grommet remains present, while the left side grommet is missing. It appears that corrosion around the missing grommet also contributed to a second small hole on the inside of the upper crease.

A row of hand stitching runs around the entire upper circumference of the cap. This does not appear to be a repair, but rather an old alteration intended to adjust the fit more closely to the wearer’s head.

The upper front carries a BeVo style machine embroidered EM/NCO eagle of the 1939 pattern, with gray embroidery on a dark bottle green Flaschengrün backing.

Below the eagle is a V-shaped white Weiß soutache, the Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) during WWII for Infanterie (Infantry) and Motorisiert Infanterie (Motorized Infantry). The lower construction stitching passes over the soutache on the right side, supporting that it was installed during original cap construction rather than added later.

Centered within the soutache is a machine embroidered national tricolor cockade. This separate eagle, cockade, and soutache configuration is characteristic of the earlier M38 pattern, before later caps increasingly used one piece trapezoid insignia.

The interior retains its original maker and issue marking:

1940

Landeslieferungs-
genossenschaft
Kürschner u.
Mützenmacher
in Bayern
14

This marking identifies a Bavarian state supply cooperative of furriers and cap makers. No separate size marking was observed. The cap measures approximately 28cm from end to end.

Overall condition is very good for a service used example. The exterior shows light staining and wear to the wool nap, particularly across the top. The fabric protected beneath the flap retains noticeably stronger original color and texture.

With its 1940 date, original Infantry white soutache, 1939 pattern BeVo style eagle, tricolor cockade, surviving right ventilation grommet, Bavarian cooperative maker marking, and clear signs of period wear and alteration, this is a very appealing Heer M38 Infantry overseas cap. The missing left grommet, corrosion related secondary hole, top circumference hand stitching, light staining, and wear to the wool nap are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Heer Infantry, M38 Schiffchen, 1940 dated headgear, or advanced German WWII uniform collection.