Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive named German WWII Heer Army Artillery EM/NCO Schirmmütze, or visor cap, with a highly desirable saddle form crown and an interior name slip identifying the wearer as Gefr. Otto Freund. The cap is constructed from Feldgrau field gray doeskin weave wool with a dark bottle green Flaschengrün cap band and Hochrot Deep Red branch piping. It retains bright aluminum insignia, its black leather EM/NCO chinstrap, original style interior appointments, and measures approximately 57cm.

The crown has the appealing “crushed” or saddle form appearance created by removal of the internal crown stiffener ring. The result is the relaxed profile particularly favored by collectors of German visor caps, while the traditional high forward crown remains clearly evident.

The cap body is made from fine Feldgrau doeskin wool with a wide dark bottle green badge cloth band. Matching Hochrot, or Deep Red, piping runs around the upper crown and along both edges of the cap band. On an EM/NCO cap of this type, the Deep Red Waffenfarbe is consistent with Heer Artillery and related artillery formations.

Inside the cap is a paper name slip reading:

Gefr. Otto Freund
Feldeinheit 29267 B

This identifies the wearer as Gefreiter Otto Freund and records his field post assignment. Feldpost number 29267 B is documented for the 1. Batterie, Artillerie-Regiment 152 during part of the war, making the surviving name slip especially interesting and fully consistent with the cap's Deep Red Artillery piping.

The front is fitted with a finely detailed aluminum Heer eagle above an open aluminum oak leaf and acorn wreath surrounding the tricolor cockade. All of the insignia remain bright and attractive with very little oxidation or wear. The red felt center of the cockade is still present and retains strong color.

The dual buckle black leather chinstrap, correct for EM/NCO wear, is attached to black lacquered buttons on either side of the cap. The finish shows age related cracking and checking, particularly where the lacquered surface has deteriorated over time.

The visor is made from pressed Vulkanfibre with a smooth black leather look upper surface and a checkered beige underside. It remains firmly attached to the cap body and shows only light edge wear together with minor age related crazing and checking.

The interior is lined in antique white rayon and shows remarkably little staining or wear, suggesting that the cap saw relatively limited use compared with many surviving service examples.

The original diamond shaped celluloid sweat shield is nearly complete and retains its perimeter stitching. At the upper portion is an eagle emblem with the wording:

Extra Klaſſe

Below the name slot is an additional small logo reading:

MARKE STANDARD

We have not confirmed whether this sweat shield design is associated with a specific cap manufacturer or represents a generic quality marking used by more than one supplier.

The sweatband is made from beige “Alkor” type synthetic leather substitute based on cellulose fibers rather than natural leather. A fabric spacer is fitted between the sweatband and cap body around the front.

The synthetic material has become brittle with age and now shows several tears through the forehead area together with general wrinkling and surface deterioration. This is the principal interior condition issue.

The cap measures approximately 57cm using a hat sizer.

Overall condition is very good. The original colors remain strongly retained, and the clean interior suggests relatively light wear. There is, however, moth damage to the exterior, particularly across the upper crown and in portions of the piping. The worn areas are fully visible but do not detract from the strong overall presentation.

For the Heer headgear or Artillery collector, this is a particularly compelling named visor cap. The saddle form crown, strong Deep Red piping, bright aluminum insignia, measured 57cm size, and especially the original Gefr. Otto Freund / Feldeinheit 29267 B name slip give it far more historical interest than an anonymous example. The Feldpost number's documented association with 1. Batterie, Artillerie-Regiment 152 adds an unusually specific research connection while remaining consistent with the cap's Artillery branch identification.

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.