Item Description
Original Item: One of a Kind Set. This is a fantastic USGI bring back grouping from the European theater of WWII. As the saying goes, "To the Victor, The Spoils", so USGIs brought home large amounts of material from WWII Germany. It was however regulated, and items were supposed to be inspected to make sure they did not have any intelligence value and were also appropriate to send back. Live grenades were definitely NOT an item that was wanted on the voyage with returning GI's.
This set comes with a "CERTIFICATE" named to Sgt. E. L. Olson, which is dated 20 Aug '45 and signed by William B. Bryant, listed as 1st Lt. AC, from the 891st Air Eng. Sq.. We would assume then that Olson was part of the U.S. Army Air Corps / Forces during WWII. The items listed on the certificate are German Caps, Pictures & Insignia, which is exactly what we have in this lovely grouping.
The items included in this grouping are as follows:
- German WWII 1937 dated Luftwaffe Signals EM/NCO Schirmmütze Visor Cap by Gebr. Alm in Size 53. This is a wonderful honest example in very good condition. It still has the original crown stiffener installed, so it retains it's original round appearance, without the "sag" usually seen. This 1937 dated EM/NCO Schirmmütze Visor Cap is an original high quality manufactured cap. It is fabricated in Luftwaffe blue gray Fliegerblau (Flier's Blue) wool gabardine, with wide black wool cap band, plus three rows of saddle brown (braun) color piping around the circumference. This is the Luftwaffe Waffenfarbe (corps color) for the Air communications corps (Luftnachrichtentruppe), usually referred to as "Signals".
It has the correct Vulcanfibre visor with leather trim fully retained, and a somewhat deteriorated EM/NCO leather chin strap with two buckles.The top of the cap still has a fully intact celluloid sweat shield, over the gold paint printed manufacturer mark of Gebr. Alm, along with their address and a date of 1937. Stamped over this in black is the size of 53. The sweatband shows only light wear, and overall this is a great Pre-WWII example.
- German WWII Heer Army Administration EM/NCO Schirmmütze Visor Cap by Peter Küpper in Size 55 1/2. This is a very good service worn condition German WWII Military Administration EM/NCO Schirmmütze Visor Cap, with a lovely shape. The cap shows high quality fabrication, made with typical Heer army feldgrau (Field Gray) green / gray wool with a forest green band and a traditional high front, with matching dark green piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, the Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for the Militärverwaltung (Military administration). This color was used for the organization in general, though there were specialized colors used in conjunction with the cap.
This example has a pressed fiber visor that is somewhat thinner than we usually see, and is black on both sides. The front EM/NCO faux leather EM/NCO chin strap has only a single buckle, and is somewhat deteriorated. The interior has only about 50% of the oil cloth sweatband present, and is lined with lightweight brown oilcloth. What remains of the sweatband is in very delicate condition, and most of the stitching has failed. The top of the cap is marked by maker Peter Küpper and size 55 1/2 in silver paint. Overall this is a very nice example, with some honest period wear, and probably deterioration post war. Oil Cloth unfortunately does not hold up well over the decades.
- 10 X German WWII Insignia from Various Organizations in a Bakelite Cigarette Case. These included a Luftwaffe Cap Eagle, two Heer Army Bullion Breast Eagles, a Kriegsmarine BeVo Field Gray uniform Breast Eagle, and RAD cap insignia, and more!
- 3 X Personal Photographs of German Soldiers and others. One was cut out from a photo album, and is double sided
- 2 X German WWII Post Cards. One shows soldiers marching in parade formation, while the other shows "Haus Wachenfeld", the residence that A H would purchase and build into The Berghof Mountain Retreat in Obersalzberg.
This is a really great named USGI bring back set from WWII Germany with lots of research potential. Ready to research and display!
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.
- This product is available for international shipping. Shipping not available to: Australia, France, or Germany
- Due to legal restrictions this item cannot be shipped to Australia, France or Germany. This is not a comprehensive list and other countries may be added in the future.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
