Original Item: Only One Available. This is a maroon fez that was part of the dress uniform of a Waffen-SS military detachment composed of Muslims from Bosnia, Croatia, and Herzegovina in occupied Yugoslavia. The creation of this unit was authorized by AH in 1943. The original purpose was to combat Tito's partisans. Through recruitment and conscription, the unit had 26,000 soldiers within a few months. The group was commanded by German or ethnic German officers, and the uniforms were designed to reflect the religion and ethnicity of the recruits. Later, the Fez was also issued to local volunteers from other areas in the Balkans.

There were two versions of the fez: a field gray model to be worn in combat and while on duty and a maroon model for parades, marching exercises and while off duty.

This example is offered in overall very good condition, with only minor age toning and moth on red/maroon wool felt exterior, definitely one of the better examples we have seen. The insignia look great as well, and are sewn on using black thread on the front and red thread on the back, as with other examples we have seen. The top tassel has just a bit of fraying at the ends, and is still partly held down in the back by tack threads to keep it from moving too much. We almost always find these with the threads missing and/or the tassel pulled out, so this is a real treat!

The entire has a fully intact excellent condition checkered black leather sweatband around the entire circumference, with the stitching completely intact. There is no size marked, but it definitely seems to be quite small, probably a 52cm or smaller. Considering that almost all of these have damaged or missing sweatbands, this is definitely a top tier example!

This example is 100% authentic: there are and have been numerous fakes on the market, this is not one of those. Ready to display!