BACKGROUND: 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 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. 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. Although Officer’s were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms it seems the majority of the tropical field blouses were issued from the military clothing depots as opposed to private purchase and as a result Officers quite often wore the same field blouses as the EM/NCO’s with the addition of Officer’s insignia. This example is the third, and final, pattern tropical field blouse which would be comparable to the field-grey M43 continental field blouse with non-pleated pockets with straight edged, button down, flaps.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Ribbed khaki/tan, cotton twill construction field blouse features a vertical, five button front closure with small, fold back, lapels and a lay down collar. The field blouse has four, non-pleated, front pockets with straight edged 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, tropical pattern, national breast eagle with outstretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons in bluish/grey rayon threads with interwoven tan accent threads on a cut-out, woven, tan rayon base. The eagle is machine stitched to the breast. Both the front and the back of the field blouse have dual, vertical, tapering darts and the reverse also has a central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The side panels each have four, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets situated at the waistline for the belt support hooks. The brown painted, bent, magnetic wire belt support hooks are both intact. The straight cut sleeve cuffs have a dual-ply hem and a small, vertical, outside seam slash with dual fit adjustments buttons. The field blouse has the fabric shoulder strap retaining loops and buttons intact but the slip on shoulder straps have been removed. The lay down collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar has the tropical pattern, general issue EM/NCO’s collar tabs as introduced in late 1940, for wear by personnel, in all branches of service, serving in tropical climates. The machine woven, rayon, collar tabs feature ribbed, bluish/grey litzen with interwoven, copper toned branch of service and center stripes. The collar tabs are machine stitched directly to the collar in the typical zig-zag fashion, with no backing material. The unlined interior has light weight, olive drab cotton reinforcement panels to each side panel with a short, vertical, field-grey, canvas web, strap to each side with six, stitched eyelets to each, for the belt support hooks. The forward, right, tail skirt panel has a light weight, olive drab cotton field dressing pocket with a single button closure. The interior, right breast panel is well marked with faint, black size inkstamps, the date, "43", and an RB number. Of Note: The RB numbers, Reichsbetriebnummer, (National factory code numbers), were introduced in late 1942 and were intended to replace the manufacturers marks on garments and equipment to conceal the manufactures name and location from the allies, to prevent bombing raids on German industrial factories. The field blouse is in overall excellent, unissued condition with numerous small picks and pulls and minimal age toning. The front closure, exterior pocket and shoulder strap buttons are a combination of the ordnance blue/grey painted, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal and alloy types and all retain the majority of their original paint. The front closure and exterior pocket buttons are the removable type secured by metal "S" rings while the shoulder strap buttons stitch in place. The cuff and internal field dressing pocket buttons are the ersatz pressed, natural tan and grey cardboard type and appear to have their original stitching. The field blouse is roughly size 38" chest.

GRADE ****1/4                             PRICE $2,380.00