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. Further uniform modifications and development lead to the introduction of the M40 field blouse in early 1940, the M42 field blouse in 1942 the M43 field blouse in 1943 and finally the M44 field blouse in September 1944 which was a complete departure from the earlier produced field blouses. In late 1940, with the impending German entrance into the North African campaign, tropical uniforms and equipment were quickly developed and issued in time for DAK, Deutsches Afrika Korps, (German Africa Corps), personnel’s arrival in Tripoli in February 1941. Eventually these tropical uniforms would be issued to personnel serving in southern areas of continental Europe. The design of the tropical issued uniforms essentially adhered to the pattern of the field-grey continental uniforms, although in a different color and material and they also followed the same, basic, war time modifications. 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. As a result of their obligation to furnish their own uniform items, Officers and Senior NCO’s were permitted to by optional clothing items that were prohibited for other ranks. 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 pink being chosen for Panzer, (Armored), personnel. On the field blouse and service tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs. NCO’s were further distinguished from enlisted ranks by the wear of NCO’s tress on the shoulder straps the forward collar edge of the field blouse. EM/NCO personnel holding the ranks of Schütze up to Stabsfeldwebel inclusively, who had achieved proficiency at a particular trade, specialty or function were distinguished on successful completion of the appropriate training, by being issued a distinctive trade specialty badge that was most commonly worn on the lower right sleeve of the service tunic or field blouse with a few exceptions. The original trade badges were introduced in 1934 and were supplemented with additional badges right up to mid-1944. In all the German army utilized no fewer then twenty-eight assorted trade specialty badges. Some of the trades were only open to enlisted ranks while those open to NCO’s ranks were distinguished by the addition of a piping on the trade badge. Originally the trade badges were worked on a blue/green badge cloth base, but in early 1940 this was altered to a field-grey wool base or the appropriate color of the uniform it was to be worn on. This particular field blouse is a private purchase example that has features of both the early, continental, M36 field blouse and the tropical field blouse. The field blouse is constructed in light weight, greyish/tan, cotton as the tropical field blouses and has a blue/green badge cloth collar as the continental M36 field blouses.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Light weight, greyish/tan cotton construction field blouse features a vertical, six button front closure with dual, metal, hooks and eyes positioned at the forward neckline and a lay down, blue/green badge cloth collar. The second, top, front closure button eyelet has an War Merit Cross 2^ND class ribbon and a Russian Front Medal ribbon inserted and neatly handstitched in place. The field blouse has four, pleated, patch, front pockets with scalloped, button down flaps. The right breast has a machine woven, M39 pattern, national breast eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons, in pale grey rayon threads mounted on a cut-out, field-grey rayon base. The eagle is machine stitched to the field blouse. The left breast pocket has three, horizontal thread loops for wear of an award. The front of the field blouse has dual, vertical, tapering darts running from the bottom edges of the breast pockets to the top edges of the hip pockets and the reverse has a short, central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The field blouse has no accommodations for the typical, belt support hooks. The straight cut, non-adjustable, sleeves have deep, turned back, French cuffs which are stitched in the upright position at both the obverse and reverse sleeve seams. The left French cuff is missing a stitch at the reverse sleeve seam. The lower, right sleeve has a pre-1940 pattern, radio operator’s trade badge with a roughly, 2 3/8", (6cm), diameter, blue/green badge cloth base featuring a hand embroidered group of three, serrated, blitz style arrows which overlap each other at the center, in golden yellow cotton threads. The blue/green badge cloth base is piped in bright, interwoven, silver/aluminum cord indicating NCO ranks. The trade badge is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. The field blouse has slip on shoulder straps in blue/green badge cloth with bright, silver/aluminum, diamond patterned NCO’s tress to all the outside edges, two, silver washed, stamped alloy, rank pips and pink rayon waffenfarbe piping to each. The right shoulder strap is missing one rank pip. The bottoms of the shoulder straps are in field-grey wool while the slip on retaining tongues are in stone grey wool with light weight, field-grey cotton/rayon blend reinforcement panels machine stitched to one side of each. The shoulder straps both show moderate to heavy mothing resulting in numerous small holes. The shoulder strap’s alloy retaining buttons and fabric retaining loops are intact. The lay down, blue/green badge cloth collar appears to be a period replacement and features bright, silver/aluminum, diamond patterned, NCO’s tress to the forward edge and the second pattern, general issue, EM/NCO’s collar tabs as introduced on May 9^TH 1940 for wear by all branches of service. The machine woven collar tabs feature ribbed, light grey/green rayon litzen with interwoven mouse grey branch of service and center stripes. The collar tabs are machine stitch mounted on blue/green badge cloth bases which are machine stitched to the collar. The unlined interior has no pockets but does have a small, horizontal, slash to the reverse of the left hip pocket designed for a sword/dagger hanger. The field blouse has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. Besides the mothing to the shoulder straps the field blouse is in overall very good condition with a few small picks and pulls, small areas of light to moderate age and usage toning and light chafe wear to the cuff and collar edges. The buttons are all the field-grey painted, pebbled, alloy type and all retain the majority of their field-grey paint and appear to have their original stitching. The field blouse is roughly size 40", (101.6cm), chest.

GRADE ***3/4                             PRICE $1,200.00