Original Item: Only One Available. This is lovely German WWII H J National Youth Organization M43 Feldmütze (Field Cap), showing signs of light use during service. Sometimes called a Skimütze (Ski Cap), these were the standard headgear for H J members who were attached to the Luftwaffe as auxiliaries, and who manned anti-aircraft Flak cannons in the defense of the Third Reich as the war drew to a close. It is constructed of Luftwaffe fliegerblau (flyer's blue) worsted wool gabardine cloth, and has fold-down panels with rounded scallops to the front and forward sides, covering the entire neck on the sides and rear when in use. When not in use, the panels are raised with their ends resting upon the visor, being joined together by stitching in the front. The visor is reinforced with cardboard, and covered in matching gabardine cloth.

The front top of the cap has a very nice enameled HJ diamond emblem, which consists of a black mobile swas inside a white square diamond, which is surrounded by alternating white and red quadrants. The borders between sections are plated metal, which still displays the original silver finish on the front and back. The back is also (RZM) marked with M1/102, for manufacture by Frank & Reif of Stuttgart, Germany, a known maker of HJ cap badges. There is not any major mothing or damage to the exterior of the cap, which retains the original color well. The visor is still in good shape, and we cannot feel any cracks in the cardboard stiffener, though there is a bend towards the middle.

The interior of the cap is lined with gray blue rayon, which is in very good service used condition, showing staining and wear, with some tears and holes in the top from use. There is a brown finished pressed paper faux leather sweatband installed, which goes all the way around the cap. It is still in good shape, though it is now quite stiff due to age, and has some tears, including one all the way through on the right. We measured the cap, and it is about a 54cm, however the sweatband being stiff may make it measure slightly smaller than it is.

Overall, this is a great looking lightly service used HJ M43 field cap!

HJ believed German youth to be the future of his 3rd Reich. The HJ National Youth Organization was formed officially in 1935, and with the exception of NSDAP ideology indoctrination was very similar to the Boy Scouts. Beginning at about the age of ten years, both boys (jugend) and girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel) were enlisted in the Party-run organization.

The M43 Feldmütze (Field Cap) is a variety of "Ski Cap" and was based on the Bergmütze (Mountain Hat) used by Austrian and German Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Troops) during WWI. Germany had adopted it in 1915, and after the war it spread throughout the military.

The skirt that surrounds the cap is made in the same wool as the cap, and can be folded down over the ears, though this was rarely done outside of the Mountain troops, which had a double-thickness skirt. The skirt has a small dip in the front quarter with a divide secured by one aluminum button which is covered by an embroidered cockade. The small section in the front quarter was built shorter to show the insignia, and cover the wearer's chin or mouth, without disturbing breathing by covering the nose. There were also later M43 caps, such as those used by the DAK, that omitted the skirt entirely, as it had little use in the desert heat.