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H051358 GENERAL'S OLD STYLE SERVICE TUNIC. (Dienstrock Alter Art für Offizier)
BACKGROUND: The old style service tunic was introduced for wear in the Reichswehr during the short lived Weimar era, and was to be replaced with the new Officer’s field blouse/service tunic after their introduction during the Third Reich with an unspecified wearing out period. The old style service tunic was quite popular with the older Officer’s which resulted in the wearing out period being extended to March 31ST 1942 for all Officers beneath the rank of General. Due to its popularity and in spite of regulations some Officers chose to continue wearing the old style service tunic for the duration of the war. The design of the Third Reich style service tunics was based on the Reichswehr service tunics with minor variations. The old style tunics had slash hip pockets as opposed to the patch type pockets on the new style and original the old style tunics had an eight button front closure until regulations of October 1928 reduced the buttons to six. 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. Generals ranks of, Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall, were distinguished by distinctive insignia and uniform fittings including the "Larisch" pattern collar tabs, gilt chin cords on the visor cap and gilt uniform buttons as opposed to silver accouterments worn by company and field grade officers holding ranks of Leutnant to Oberst. The gilt uniform fittings for Generals ranks were utilized through-out the war. Of Note: The "Larisch" pattern collar tabs were based on uniform ornamentation of the 26TH Prussian Infantry Regiment, Alt-Larisch of the 1800's and were utilized through-out WWI, the Weimar Reichswehr era and on into the Third Reich. Originally these "Larisch" pattern collar tabs were all produced with gilt bullion ornamentation until regulations of July 15TH 1938 permitted the use of golden yellow celleon threads for the ornamentation. Regulations of April 3RD 1941 introduced a new, slightly elongated, pattern collar tab for the rank of Generalfeldmarschall with additional ornamentation. The ranks of Generalmajor to Generaloberst continued wear of the shorter "Larisch" collar tabs for the duration of WWII. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a particular identifying waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), that was displayed on the shoulder boards and the collar tabs although Generals ranks all utilized bright red waffenfarbe regardless of the branch of service. Of Note: Regulations in April 1944 dictated that Generals with specialist careers, i.e.. Medical, Veterinarian etc., alter the base color of the shoulder boards to the appropriate branch of service color to reflect their specialized training to be effective as of May 1ST 1944. Originally Generals shoulder boards utilized gilt bullion and silver braiding but regulations of July 15TH 1938, replaced the gilt bullion braid with golden yellow celleon braid and at a later unknown date the silver braid was replaced with silver/aluminum braid. Of Note: Both the early gilt bullion and silver braiding and the later golden yellow celleon braid and silver/aluminum braiding were utilized through-out the war.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, private purchase, field-grey wool construction old style service tunic with a subtle whipcord weave features a vertical, eight button, front closure with triple, metal hooks and eyes positioned at the forward neckline. Both sides of the front closure are trimmed with bright red wool piping. The tunic has two, pleated, patch, breast pockets and two, diagonally angled hip pockets, all with scalloped button down flaps. The right breast has a nice quality, hand embroidered, national breast eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons in heavy gilt wire and bullion threads with orangish/tan accent threads mounted on a cut-out, dark, blue/green badge cloth base. The eagle shows moderate to heavy tarnish and age and usage toning resulting in it having a rich coppery toned appearance. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the tunic. The buttons are all the fire gilted, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal type and all retain the majority of their fire gilted finish and most appear to have their original stitching. The 6th button down has pulled loose from the tunic and needs to be resewn. The right breast pocket has two, horizontal, thread loops for wear of an award. Of Note: Very few awards were worn on the right breast and included the Spanish and German Crosses. The left breast has five, horizontal and four, vertical, thread loops, also for wear of awards and comes with an eight place ribbon bar. The ribbon bar features a WWI Iron Cross 2ND class ribbon with a silver washed, die struck alloy 1939 Bar to the Iron Cross 2ND class cypher, a War Merit Cross 2ND class ribbon with a gilt washed, die stamped alloy, crossed swords cypher, a Russian Front Medal ribbon, a 1914/18 Combatants Cross of Honor ribbon with a gilt washed, die stamped alloy, crossed swords cypher, a Bremen Life Saving Medal ribbon, an Armed Forces Long Service ribbon with a silver washed, die struck, alloy national eagle cypher, a WWI Hungarian Combatants Fire Cross ribbon with a gilt washed, die stamped alloy, crossed swords cypher and a Romanian Crusade Against Communism Medal ribbon. The ribbons are all mounted on an alloy base plate with a protective red wool backing handstitched to the reverse and a horizontal pin back device intact. The ribbons are in overall good condition with light age toning. The left breast pocket also has a single stitched eyelet presumably intended for a screw-back award. The front of the tunic has dual, vertical, tapering darts and the reverse has a central, vertical, tail skirt vent with two belt support ramp buttons to the top edge. The straight cut 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 the pre-July 1938 pattern, sewn on shoulder boards consisting of three, interwoven strands of Russian braiding with a central, silver/aluminum, braid flanked by dual, gilt wire braids with two, silver washed stamped alloy rank pips o each, mounted on red wool waffenfarbe bases. The shoulder board braiding all shows moderate age tarnish. The shoulder board retaining buttons are intact. The tunic has a lay down, blue/green badge cloth construction collar with the distinctive Generalmajor to Generaloberst ranks collar tabs consisting of a red wool base with the hand embroidered Arabesque style "Larisch" pattern ornamentation in gilt wire threads to each. The Larisch pattern ornamentation consists of two, dual pointed, vertical prongs with a decorative, horizontal, arrow head shaped ornamentation at the forward edge and down-swept, flared, tail shaped decoration near the reverse edge. The collar tabs are neatly machine stitched to the tunic. The collar tab embroidery also shows light to moderate age tarnish. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in brushed, grey cotton/rayon with off-white, grey striped, rayon sleeves. The lining has a horizontal, slash, pocket to the left breast and the reverse of the exterior, left, hip pocket has a small, horizontal, slash designed for the dagger/sword hangers. The tunic has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. The tunic is in overall very good condition with light age and usage toning, minor chafe wear to the cuff and collar edges, small areas of light nap wear and about a half dozen pinhead sized moth nips. The tunic is roughly size 38" chest.
GRADE ***3/4 PRICE $ SOLD
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