H008064 KNIGHT’S CROSS WINNER, GENERAL VIKTOR VON SCHWEDLER’S M35 DRESS TUNIC WITH DRESS AIGUILLETTE & PANTS. (Waffenrock M35 mit Achselband und Hose für General Offizier) 

BACKGROUND: The M35 dress tunic was introduced for wear by all ranks on June 29^TH 1935 as the walking out, parade and ceremonial dress with the piped, stone grey long pants. The design of the M35 dress tunic was based on the Imperial German army’s service tunic but was a different color and generally of much higher quality. Originally all personnel were issued two M35 dress tunics but manufacture was to be discontinued in late 1939 or early 1940 and was to be reinstated at the successful conclusion of the war although it appears they continued to be manufacture through most of the war. Regulations of March 21^ST 1940 stated that the M35 dress tunics that were no longer suitable for dress wear were to be modified and reissued to personnel of the replacement and reserve units for every day wear. The M35 dress tunics for General’s ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall were distinguished from Field and Company grade Officers by golden insignia and the distinctive Arabesque style "Larisch" pattern collar tabs and cuff ornamentation that were based on uniform ornamentation of the 26^TH Prussian Infantry Regiment, Alt-Larisch of the 1800's. The German army originally adopted a slightly modified version of the NSDAP’s, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), national eagle by order on February 17^TH 1934, with instructions to have it applied to all steel helmets, visor caps, and tunics by May 1^ST 1934. Generally Officer’s ranks utilized hand or machine embroidered breast eagles while EM/NCO’s ranks utilized machine embroidered or machine woven breast eagles. Normally the different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), that was displayed on the collar tabs and other uniform ornamentation although all General’s ranks were the exception to the rule and utilized bright red waffenfarbe to indicate their rank position regardless of their actual branch of service. Officer’s dress aiguillettes can be traced back as far as 1730 when a type of aiguillette was introduced for Officer’s in the Prussian army as a purely decorative ornamental item. Aiguillettes, in various forms, continued to be worn with certain forms of dress, primarily for ceremonial occasions, through-out the years and on July 22^ND 1927 the Weimar Reichswehr era, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), introduced a new pattern aiguillette that was worn until the official Third Reich era aiguillette was introduced along with the new M35 Waffenrock on June 29^TH 1935. The Third Reich era aiguillette was very similar to the Reichswehr era aiguillette but had the addition of two, ornamental ferrules. The aiguillettes were in silver for Company and Field grade Officer’s and in gilt for General’s ranks. The aiguillettes were worn suspended from the right shoulder and the right breast of the tunic and were worn with the parade dress when Hitler was present or on parades commemorating his birthday, when formal dress was ordered and at certain ceremonies in either formal or informal dress. Of Note: With the introduction of the new Third Reich era Officer’s dress aiguillettes on June 29^TH 1935 the earlier Reichswehr Officer’s dress aiguillettes and the adjutant’s aiguillettes were both abolished. The German army utilized a wide variety of long trousers and breeches including the M35 dress pants, the standard straight legged long pants, assorted breeches, drill and field pants, tapered "keilhose" pants and assorted specialized pants designed for specific branch of service personnel such as the Mountain troopers pants and the Panzer and Assault Gunner’s pants. The pants and breeches for General’s ranks of Generalmajor up to and including Generalfeldmarschall were distinguished with the addition of bright red, adornment stripes positioned vertically on the outside leg seams. Company and Field grade Officer’s serving with the Generalstab, (General Staff), the OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), and the OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), utilized crimson adornment stripes on their long pants and breeches until regulations of November 16^TH 1942 discontinued the practice for personnel serving with the OKW and the OKH. Originally the long pants and breeches were produced in stone grey fabric until 1940 when regulations dictated that newly produced long pants be constructed in field-grey fabric. Officers and certain Senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the army’s Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system. The Officers and certain Senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their uniforms from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase garments of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored uniforms although the price may have been restrictive. Of Interest: Born in Sankt Goarshausen on January 18^TH 1885 Viktor von Schwedler graduated from the Prussian cadet Academy in February 1904 with the position of Fähnrich, (Officer Candidate), and was promoted to the rank of Leutnant on January 27^TH 1905 serving with the 26^TH Infantry Regiment. In 1909 Von Schwedler served with the 88^TH Infantry regiment and was promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant on June 16^TH 1912. With the outbreak of WWI von Schwedler was assigned to the General Staff and on November 28^TH 1914 he was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann Von Schwedler served with distinction in WWI being awarded numerous decorations including the Iron Cross in both second and first classes, and the Knight’s Cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern with swords among others. Von Schwedler remained in the military through-out the Weimar Reichswehr era, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), serving in assorted General Staff positions and was promoted to the rank of Oberst in February 1932. During the Third Reich von Schwedler served with the Defence Ministry and was Chief of Army Personnel in 1933. In October 1934 von Schwedler was promoted to the rank of Generalmajor, to the rank of Generalleutnant in October 1936 and to the rank of General der Infanterie in February 1938. From February 1938 to October 1942 von Schwedler commanded the IV Armeekorps, (4^TH Army Corps), and from March 1943 to January 1945 he was commander of the Wehrkreis IV, (4^TH Military District). During WWII von Schwedler served in most of the major campaigns and was awarded the bar to both his WWI Iron Crosses and a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on June 29^TH 1940. Von Schwedler survived the war and died in Freiburg on October 30^TH 1954. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Very nice quality, private purchase, field-grey, wool/rayon blend construction M35 dress tunic with a subtle whipcord weave features a vertical, eight button front closure with dual, metal, hooks and eyes positioned at the forward neckline and a lay down, blue/green badge cloth collar. The right breast has a nice quality, hand embroidered, national breast eagle with outstretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons in gilt wire threads with golden yellow celleon accent threads mounted on a cut-out, blue/green badge cloth base which is neatly handstitched to the tunic. The gilt wire threads have lost most of their gilt finish resulting in a tarnished silver appearance. The right breast and shoulder also have a 1935 pattern, dress aiguillette consisting of two sections of bright, heavy, dual interwoven gilt braid and dual bright, heavy, single gilt braids with a gilt washed, metal alloy ferrule to the end of each. The aiguillette has a small button holed tab designed to be secured to a button beneath the right shoulder board. The small, molded, tan bakelite aiguillette securing button, positioned beneath the right shoulder board, is intact. The aiguillette is in overall very good, clean condition although the ferrules have lost most of their gilt wash. The aiguillette appears to be tied and positioned correctly. The right breast also has two, horizontal thread loops for wear of an award. Of Note: Very few awards were worn on the right breast including the NSDAP Blood Order, the Spanish Cross series of awards and the German Cross in both silver and gold. The tunic has no exterior pockets, as per it’s design. The left breast has seven, vertical and four, horizontal thread loops for wear a ribbon/medal bar and awards. The tunic has no exterior pockets, as per it’s design. The left breast also has a white fabric, Maltese style cross with embroidered outer edging, neatly handstitched in place. Of Note: Many of the early Germanic states utilized Maltese style crosses on a wide variety of awards and decorations resulting in an inconclusive identification of this example. The tunic has ornamental, bright red wool waffenfarbe piping running down the full length of both the left and right front closure panel edges, around the top edge of the simulated French cuffs, at the forward edge of the lay down collar and on either sides of the reverse tail skirt vent. The simulated French cuffs and the lay down collar are both constructed of dark, blue/green badge cloth. The blue/green badge cloth cuffs feature dual, hand embroidered, vertical, Larisch patterned ornamentations in bright, gilt wire threads, mounted on vertically rectangular, bright red wool bases with an ornamental button to the top of each. The reverse of the tunic has a central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The tail skirt vent has two sets, of dual, vertical, parallel, ornamental buttons to each side with two, belt support buttons positioned at the top edge of the tail skirt vent and scalloped, bright red wool waffenfarbe piping. The tunic has the pre-July 15^TH 1938 pattern, sewn on shoulder boards featuring three, interwoven strands of Russian braiding with a central, silver/aluminum braid flanked by dual, gilt bullion braids and two, large, gilt washed, stamped alloy, rank pips, all mounted a red wool bases. The shoulder board represents the rank of General. The shoulder board’s retaining buttons are intact. The tunic has a lay down, blue/green badge cloth collar with bright red, wool waffenrabe piping to the forward edge. The collar has matching, nice quality, pre-July 15^TH 1938 pattern, collar tabs with bright red wool bases featuring hand embroidered Arabesque style "Larisch" pattern ornamentation in bright, gilt wire threads. The Larisch pattern ornamentation consists of two, triple pointed, vertical prongs to both the top and bottom edges with a decorative, horizontal, arrow head shaped ornamentation to the forward edge and down-swept, flared tail shaped decoration near the reverse edge. The center of the Larisch ornamentation has a narrow, elongated section of the red wool base visible. The collar tabs are machine stitched to the collar. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in ribbed, grey rayon with an off-white rayon sleeve lining. The lining has a horizontal, slash, pocket to the left breast panel and two, vertical, slash, "glove", pockets to the reverse of the tail skirt vent. The lining also has a short, horizontal, ribbed grey rayon, strap positioned at each side at the waistline with the right hand strap having three nickel/silver plated, sheet metal, female "Stocko", snaps with three corresponding, male sheet metal, snaps on the left hand strap for a better fit and a neat appearance. The interior of the left breast pocket has a small, white rayon tailor’s label, machine stitched in place, with the black machine woven tailor’s name and location, "Karl Heisler Berlin C2 Magazin Str. 14", and the hand written owner’s name with the rank prefix that appears to be, "Generalmaj. v. Schwedler", with the date that appears to be, "Feb 11 35". The tunic is in overall very good condition with minor age and usage toning and some light chafe wear to the cuffs and collar edges. The front closure, cuff and tail skirt buttons are all the bright, gilt washed, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal type while the shoulder board buttons are the bright, gilt washed, pebbled alloy type and are all still quite clean and bright and appear to have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly size, 41", (104cm), chest. Also included are a pair of very nice quality, private purchase, early pattern, (Pre-1940), stone grey, wool construction straight legged, long, pants with a subtle whipcord weave. The pants feature a vertical, three button French fly with an additional, metal hook and eye and eye situated on the horizontal, light brown rayon waistband. The pants have two, diagonally angled, slash, front pockets and a small, horizontal slash, watch pocket positioned at the bottom edge of the right front waistband. The right front waistband has a small, light brown rayon loop designed to secure a watch chain. The reverse of the pants ride slightly higher then the front with the typical "V" slash to the reverse center. The reverse of the pants have two, short, vertical, tapering darts and a horizontal slash, pocket to the right seat with a single button closure. The reverse also has dual, horizontal, light brown rayon, fit adjustment straps with corresponding, nickel/silver plated, magnetic sheet metal, toothed gripper buckles to each. The outer leg side seams each feature narrow, vertical, bright red wool piping flanked on either side by roughly, 1 5/8", (4cm), wide bright red wool, adornment stripes, all machine stitched in place. The pants have dual-ply, hemmed cuffs with a blackened leather foot stirrup to both the inner and outer leg seams. The blackened leather foot stirrups each have a single, cut-out, eyelet to each and come with two, brass, closure studs. The interior waistband is lined in grey rayon and has three of the original four molded tan suspender attachment buttons intact. The interior waistband has a short, grey rayon strap with a single button eyelet to the left hand side of the fly although the corresponding button is absent. The internal pocket bags are all constructed in, light grey cotton. The right seat cotton bag has a woven, white rayon tailor’s label with the black machine woven tailor’s name and location, "Wilhelm Holters Berlin W8 Wilhelmstr. 49", and the hand written owner’s name with the rank prefix that appears to be, "Generalltn. v. Schwedler", with the date that appears to be, "Aug 1937". Of Note: Holters was one of the most celebrated, prestigious, tailors in Berlin and made clothing for many high ranking officials, including Adolf Hitler. The interior crotch has a small, pale grey cottonreinforcement panel machine stitched in place. The pants are in overall very good condition with minimal age and usage toning and some minor chafe wear to the cuffs. The buttons are all the molded tan bakelite type and all appear to have their original stitching. The pants are roughly size 34", (86.3cm), waist. Nice uniform set in overall very good condition to a high ranking, highly decorated General Officer. Also included is a large group of photocopied documents related to von Schwedler’s military career.

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