Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army Signals EM/NCO Schirmmütze visor cap by Clemens Wagner of Braunschweig, dated 1938 and marked size 57 1/2. It retains its original crown reinforcement ring, giving it a more formal upright profile rather than the crushed saddle form often seen on service worn visor caps.

The cap is constructed from Feldgrau whipcord weave wool with a flaschengrün (dark bottle-green) "badge cloth" band and a traditional high forward crown. It is finished with Zitronengelb lemon yellow piping around the upper crown seam and along both edges of the cap band, the Corps Color (Waffenfarbe) used by the Heer Army Nachrichtentruppe (Signal corps), responsible for setting up and maintaining communication equipment.

The front is fitted with a bright stamped aluminum Heer eagle above an open aluminum wreath surrounding an aluminum tricolor cockade with its red felt center still intact. The black patent leather EM/NCO chinstrap retains its double buckles and shows age related crazing, checking, and some softening or “melting” of the surface finish. The vulcanfibre visor remains firmly attached and has a gloss black upper surface with fine age crazing and minor edge wear, while the underside is finished in checkered brown.

The interior is lined in orange service cloth showing only light staining from use. The diamond shaped celluloid sweat shield remains fully intact with complete stitching, and beneath it the cap is marked:

57 1/2

The brown leather sweatband remains supple and attached around the full circumference. It shows some wear along the rear edge and a few small tears at the upper edge but is otherwise in very good condition.

The underside of the sweatband is maker marked:

Clemens Wagner
Braunschweig
1938

There is also a retailer or cooperative marking:

Kürschner - und
Mützenmacher -
Genossenschaft
Rheinland - Westfalen

along with the additional date:

11 1938

indicating November 1938.

Overall condition is very good, with strong exterior color, bright insignia, and good structural integrity. The main condition issues are moth damage along the lower portion of the cap, including several holes through the wool and some damage to the lower piping, a few additional moth holes around the lower crown, and a stitched repair approximately 4" long on the left underside where the fabric appears to have torn previously. Despite these issues, the cap remains complete, well marked, and highly displayable.

With its Clemens Wagner 1938 maker marking, additional November 1938 retailer stamp, size 57 1/2 marking, intact crown stiffener, Signals Corps lemon yellow piping, bright aluminum insignia, and complete EM/NCO chinstrap, this is a strong example of an early Heer Nachrichtentruppe visor cap. The moth damage, lower piping wear, chinstrap finish deterioration, and stitched underside repair are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Heer Signals uniform, EM/NCO visor cap, Clemens Wagner headgear, prewar dated cap, or advanced German WWII headgear collection.

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, issued 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.