BACKGROUND: The Third Reich era, Officer’s service tunic followed the basic design of the EM/NCO’s field blouse with the most readily visible difference, besides the insignia, being the turned up French cuffs. The Officer’s service tunic was originally manufactured with a field-grey, badge cloth collar which was altered to blue/green badge cloth as per regulations of 1935. The Officer’s service tunic remained in usage through-out the war with minor variations. 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 golden yellow being chosen for Kavallerie, (Cavalry), personnel. On the field blouse and service tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Very nice quality, private purchase, field-grey, doeskin wool/rayon blend construction tunic with a subtle whipcord weave features a vertical, six button, front closure with dual, metal hooks and eyes positioned at the forward neckline. The tunic has four, pleated, front pockets with exaggerated scalloped button down flaps. The breast pockets are the standard patch type while the hip pockets are the saddle-bag type with expanding side panels. The right breast has a machine woven, national breast eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in bright silver/aluminum flat-wire threads mounted on a cut-out, woven, dark blue/green rayon base, which in turn is machine stitched to a dark blue/green badge cloth base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to tunic. The reverse of the tunic has a small, central, vertical, tail skirt slash. The straight cut, non-adjustable, sleeves have deep, turned back, French cuffs which are stitched in the upright position at both the inner and outer sleeve seams. The tunic has sewn on shoulder boards of matte, silver/aluminum Russian braid with a single, gilt washed, stamped alloy rank pip to each, mounted on golden yellow, wool waffenfarbe bases. The shoulder board retaining buttons are intact. The right shoulder has a white, mother-of-pearl button stitched beneath the shoulder board, for wear of a lanyard or aiguillette. The tunic has a lay down, blue/green badge cloth construction collar which features hand embroidered collar tab litzen in matte, silver/aluminum wire threads with the regulation, "V" patterned, golden yellow wire branch of service stripes. The collar tabs are mounted on blue/green badge cloth bases which show through the litzen as the center stripe and are handstitched to the collar. Of Note: The shoulder boards may be replaced as the underside seam is not sewn tight. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in ribbed, field-grey rayon with grey striped, white rayon sleeves. The lining has a horizontal slash pocket to the left breast panel, with a white, rayon tailor’s label machine stitched to the interior. The label has the black printed tailor’s name and location, "C.H. Busch Berlin-Potsdam", and the handwritten owner’s name and date, "Frhr. von Scheele, 21. 9. 42". The reverse of the exterior, left hip pocket has a field-grey, wool/rayon, reinforced, horizontal slash to accommodate the dagger/sword hangers. The tunic is in overall very good condition with minor nap wear to the cuff and collar edges and light age and usage toning. The buttons are all the field-grey painted, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal type and all retain the vast majority of their original field-grey paint. Most of the buttons appear to have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly size 40" chest.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $1,488.00