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. 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 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. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with light green being chosen for Gebirgsjäger, (Mountain Troops), personnel. On the M35 dress tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the edge of the front closure panels, the cuff and collar facings, the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs. Of Note: Due to the overlapping use of various shades of green waffenfarbe by, Gebirgsjäger, Schützen, (Rifles), Jägers, (Light Infantry), and Panzer Grenadiers, (Armored Infantry), it can sometimes be difficult to attribute the branch of service with absolute certainty although this example has a Mountain Troop unit marking to the interior. Of Note: On May 2^ND 1939 the Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), authorized wear of a distinctive Edelweiss tradition badge by Mountain Troop personnel to be worn on the upper right sleeve of the service, dress and field uniforms. The design of the badge was based on a badge worn by the WWI German Alpine Corps. On introduction the badge was on a blue/green badge cloth base, but in early 1940 this was altered to a field-grey wool base. Interestingly this tunic doesn’t have the Edelweiss insignia or any evidence that it was ever applied.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, slightly mottled, field-grey, wool/rayon blend construction, M35 dress tunic 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 an early, M36 pattern, machine woven national breast eagle with outstretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons, in white rayon threads on a cut-out, woven blue/green rayon base which is machine stitched to the tunic. The eagle may be a replacement as the stitching runs through the interior lining. The tunic has no exterior pockets. The tunic has ornamental mid-green wool waffenfarbe running down the full length of the left, front closure panel edge, the lower half, right, front closure panel edge, 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, machine woven, vertical, litzen in bright, silver/aluminum, flat-wire threads on vertically rectangular, mid-green wool bases with an ornamental button to the top of each. The reverse of the tunic has a central, vertical, tail skirt vent with vertical, scalloped, flaps piped in mid-green wool waffenfarbe. The tail skirt vent has two sets, of dual, vertical, parallel, ornamental buttons to each side with two, belt ramp support buttons positioned at the top edge of the tail skirt vent. The tunic has had the sewn on early, second pattern, (circa November 1938-May 1940), blue/green badge cloth construction, shoulder straps with mid-green wool waffenfarbe piping. The shoulder straps both show some light scarring where it appears the chain stitched regimental numeral, "100", had been applied and removed. The shoulder strap retaining buttons are intact and feature the embossed Company numeral, "2". Of Note: Enlisted Mountain Troop personnel’s shoulder straps signify the ranks of Jäger, Oberschütze, Gefreiter, Obergefreiter and Stabsgefreiter inclusively. The lay down, blue/green badge cloth collar has mid-green wool waffenfarbe piping to the forward edge and machine woven, bright, silver/aluminum, flat-wire collar tab litzen with interwoven silver/aluminum wire "branch of service" stripes mounted on mid-green wool bases. The mid-green wool bases show through the litzen as the center stripe. The collar tabs are machine stitched in place. The interior of the tunic is fully lined, including the sleeves, in ribbed, greyish/tan cotton twill. The lining has a horizontal, slash, pocket to the left breast, and two, vertical, slash, "glove", pockets to the reverse of the tail skirt vent. The tunic has three collar liner retaining buttons intact. The left breast lining has faint black size inkstamps and a black inkstamped unit designation, "I./G.J. R. 100", indicating 1^ST Company of the 100^TH Mountain Infantry Regiment. The lining also has a small, white fabric label handstitched to the nape of the neck with the black printed owner’s rank, name and unit, "Jäger Wimmer II Josef 2. Komp. Geb.-Jäg.-Rgt. 100", indicating the 2^ND Company of the 100^TH Mountain Infantry Regiment. Of Note: The 100^TH Mountain Infantry Regiment was an integral component of the 5^TH Mountain Division. The tunic is in overall good condition with light age and usage toning, spots of light to moderate nap wear and a few small tears to each cuff. The exterior buttons are all the bright, silver washed, pebbled, alloy type while the collar liner buttons are the molded grey bakelite type and all appear to have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly a size 38" chest.

GRADE ***1/2                             PRICE $1,800.00