Original Item: Only One Available. This cap is a nice service worn example of a German WWII Wehrmacht Heer Army Cavalry NCO / EM Schirmmütze visor cap. It features the typical green wool gabardine construction with a forest green band and a traditional high forward crown. The also has matching Goldgelb (Golden Yellow) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, the Corps Color (Waffenfarbe) for Cavalry, as well as reconnaissance and armored reconnaissance units with cavalry traditions.

The cap has seen significant use in service, and unfortunately in the years since it was worn, this has caused the leather and the stitching around the entire perimeter to degrade. The sweatband is now in several pieces, some of which are loose in the interior, and the remnants are quite delicate. The front vulcanfibre visor is also almost completely detached from the body of the cap. It is literally holding on by a few threads. This could possibly be repaired, but we have left it as is, as the condition is part of the cap's history.

On the other hand, the body of the cap is in very good condition, with a great color and no major mothing that we can see. It is decorated with a well detailed silvered aluminum eagle insignia on the peak and an open silvered aluminum wreath surrounding a tri-color cockade on the band. The dual-buckled black leather chinstrap, designating the wearer to be an enlisted man, is attached to black lacquered buttons on either side. The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting some light wear along the edge and is brown on the underside with cross hatching.

The inside of the cap is lined with an ochre-tan fabric, which is almost like light oil cloth. The plastic/celluloid crown sweat protector is present, but delicate, and the stitching on the edge has partly rotted away. The size is marked with an ink stamp 55 marking on the crown under the sweatshield.

A nice service worn example of the classic hat worn by German Army Cavalry NCOs in WWII.

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.