BACKGROUND: The development of the M36 field blouse can be traced back to April 1933 with the introduction of the first pattern field blouses which were a departure from the cut and style of tunics utilized in World War I. From its introduction until 1936 the field blouse underwent a couple of small modifications designed to enhance its performance, appearance and longevity. Modifications to the 1933 pattern field blouse began in December 1934 when the original field-grey basic cloth collar was altered to a field-grey badge cloth for a better appearance. In September 1935 the collar was altered again from the field-grey badge cloth to dark blue/green badge cloth. The final pre-war modification to the field blouse occurred in December 1936 with the addition of a partial lining to the interior breast and upper back panels to increase its wear-out time. 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. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with white being chosen for Infanterie, (Infantry), personnel. On the field blouse and service tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Issued, field-grey wool/rayon blend construction M36 field blouse with a blue/green badge cloth collar, features a vertical, five button front closure with a single brass hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline. The second, top, front closure button eyelet has an inserted Iron Cross 2^ND class ribbon handstitched in place. The field blouse has four, pleated, front pockets with scalloped button down flaps. The breast pockets are the basic patch type while the hip pockets are the saddlebag type with expanding side panels. The right breast has an M36 pattern, machine woven, national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in its talons, in white rayon threads on a cut-out, woven, dark blue/green rayon base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the breast. The field blouse has four sets of three, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets with one set situated at either side of the front closure and two to either side of the back panel, at the waistline. The eyelets were designed for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The back panel has two, short, vertical, tapering darts and a short, central, vertical tail skirt vent. The straight cut sleeve cuffs each have a small, vertical slash to the outside seam with dual fit adjustment buttons to each. Only one button remains on each cuff. The upper left sleeve has a silver/aluminum, diamond pattern Gefreiter’s tress chevron mounted on an inverted triangular, blue/green badge cloth base. The insignia is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. The field blouse has the early, first pattern, (Circa September 1935-November 1938), pointed tip, slip on shoulder straps with no waffenfarben, (Branch of Service Color), piping. The EM’s blue/green badge cloth construction, slip on shoulder straps have the chain stitched regimental numeral, "95" in white waffenfarbe cotton threads. The bottom of the straps and the slip on retaining tongues are in field-grey wool and the reverse of the retaining tongues have a ribbed greyish/tan cotton twill reinforcement panel machine stitched in place. The shoulder strap retaining buttons and fabric loops are also still intact. Of Note: Enlisted Infantry personnel’s shoulder straps signify the ranks of Schütze, Oberschütze, Gefreiter, Obergefreiter and Stabsgefreiter inclusively with the actual rank insignia displayed on the sleeve. Also Of Note: The 95^TH Infantry Regiment was a component of the 17^TH Infantry Division. The field blouse has a lay down, blue/green badge cloth construction collar with the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar features the general issue EM/NCO’s collar tabs as introduced on November 26^TH 1938 for wear by personnel serving in all branches of service. The machine woven rayon collar tabs feature light field-grey ribbed litzen with interwoven blue/green branch of service and center stripes. The collar tabs are machine stitched to dark blue/green badge cloth bases which are in turn machine stitched to the collar. The interior of the field blouse is partially lined in light weight, greyish/tan cotton. The lining has a field dressing pocket to the right forward tail skirt with a single button closure and a small metal hook inserted to each forward side panel at the waistline. The lining has small opened slashes at each shoulder panel and at the mid-back panel to accommodate the internal belt support hook retaining straps. The separate internal belt support hook retaining straps are absent. All five collar liner attachment buttons are intact. The lining to the right front closure panel is well marked with black size inkstamps and, "M 39", indicating the field blouse passed through the army’s clothing depot in Munich in 1939. The lining also has the black inkstamped manufacturer’s name and location, "Leopold Lautenschläger Uniformfabrik Karlsruhe". The field blouse is in overall good condition with light age and usage toning, areas of light to moderate chafe wear and spots of light to moderate moth grazing resulting in lost nap and about a half dozen small holes. The front closure, exterior pocket and shoulder strap buttons are all the field-grey painted, pebbled alloy type and retain various amounts of their field-grey paint. The cuff, field dressing pocket and collar liner buttons are the molded grey bakelite type and most of the buttons appear to have their original stitching. The field blouse is roughly size 40" chest.

GRADE ***1/2                             PRICE $3,035.00