Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Luftwaffe Flight Branch EM/NCO Schirmmütze visor cap manufactured by Albert Kempf of Ronsdorf, dated 1939 and size 56. The cap is constructed from Luftwaffe blue gray Fliegerblau whipcord wool with a wide black wool cap band and three rows of goldgelb, or Gold Yellow, piping for the Flight Branch. It retains its original crown stiffener, aluminum insignia, enlisted black leather chinstrap, vulcanized fiber visor, complete celluloid moisture shield, and clearly printed maker, size, and date information inside.

Gold Yellow Waffenfarbe was associated with the Luftwaffe Flight Branch and was used by flying personnel and related units. This included aviators and associated ground personnel, as well as Fallschirmjäger troops. The three rows of piping on this cap are well retained and provide strong contrast against the blue gray body and black cap band.

The crown is made from high quality Fliegerblau whipcord weave wool and still retains its original internal stiffener. As a result, the cap has preserved much of its original shape rather than collapsing heavily at the sides, giving it a gently relaxed but still well structured profile.

The front carries the correct metal Luftwaffe insignia, consisting of a finely detailed aluminum eagle on the crown and an aluminum oak leaf wreath with stylized wings surrounding a central painted national tricolor cockade on the band. Both pieces remain in excellent condition, with only minor wear to the painted surface of the cockade.

The black leather chinstrap is the double-buckled enlisted pattern and is attached to black lacquered side buttons. The leather shows light surface texture from age but no major cracking, checking, or deterioration. Its survival in this condition is an especially attractive feature of the cap.

The visor is constructed from pressed vulcanized fiber with a black upper surface, faux leather stitched edge trim, and green checkered underside. The visor shows light age related crazing and checking but remains firmly attached to the body of the cap. The edge trim is complete and in very good condition.

The interior is lined in orange service cloth material, with what appears to be matching oilcloth at the inner crown. The clear celluloid moisture shield remains fully intact and securely stitched in place. Beneath it, the maker and size information is clearly printed in gold:

Lieferant
ALBERT KEMPF
Ronsdorf
56
1939

The sweatband is constructed from leather or pressed paper with a heavy beige finish and perforations across the forehead area. It has developed some wrinkling and is now quite stiff with age, but no tears were observed. No unit markings were found beneath the sweatband.

Overall condition is excellent. The exterior colors remain strong, the Gold Yellow piping is well retained, the insignia is complete, and no visible moth damage was observed. The principal signs of age are the light visor crazing, minor wear to the painted cockade, and the stiffness and wrinkling of the sweatband.

With its 1939 date, size 56 marking, clearly identified Albert Kempf manufacture, Gold Yellow Flight Branch piping, original crown stiffener, complete aluminum insignia, enlisted chinstrap, intact visor trim, and surviving celluloid maker shield, this is a particularly attractive Luftwaffe EM/NCO visor cap. It would display especially well in a Luftwaffe Flight Branch, Fallschirmjäger, enlisted headgear, Albert Kempf maker, or advanced German WWII uniform 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, 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.