BACKGROUND: The overseas cap was also commonly called the side cap, forage cap and field cap and due to it’s shape the cap was also referred to with less flattering, vulgar names. The M34 overseas cap for wear by EM/NCO personnel was initially introduced on March 24^TH 1934, with non-functional front buttons, a colored, branch of service soutache and the Weimar Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era national tri-color cockade which were both worn on the upper, front portion of the cap. The design of the M34 overseas cap was based on a Schiffchenform, (Boat form), style cap that was introduced in the Reichswehr as per regulations of February 13^TH 1928 for trails and testing, although it wasn’t official adopted at that time. Regulations of October 1935, did away with the buttons and altered the insignia utilized on the cap. On March 14^TH 1933 the Weimar Reichswehr era oval black, red and gold cockade was replaced with a circular cockade in black, white, and red and was utilized through-out the Third Reich period. 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. Regulations followed on October 30^TH 1935 that stipulated the national eagle was also to be applied to all field caps. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with lemon yellow being chosen for Nachrichten, (Signals), personnel. Originally the early M34 and the modified M34, (circa October 1935), overseas caps, were outfitted with an identifying branch of service soutache until regulations of July 10^TH 1942 abolished the use of the soutache and instructed it to be removed from the caps, although the directive was not strictly adhered to. Of Note: The M34 overseas cap was only intended for EM/NCO’s ranks while Officer’s ranks wore the old "Crusher" style visor cap until the introduction of the Officer’s M38 overseas cap on December 6^TH 1938. Officially wear of the old "Crusher" style visor caps was extended until April 1^ST 1942. Further regulations of July 21^ST 1942 discontinued the M34 overseas cap in favour of the newly designed, more functional, M42 pattern overseas cap but the changeover was never fully completed.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Modified, October 1935 pattern, slightly mottled, field-grey wool/rayon blend construction cap with fold down side and back panels with gently sloping, downward scallops to the front and forward sides. As is typical, the fold down panels are handstitched in the upright position at the front center of the cap. The cap has an field-grey painted, alloy, ventilation grommet positioned to either side, just below the crown edge. The grommets retain all of their field-grey paint. The front center of the cap has a machine woven national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in white rayon threads, mounted on a cut-out, woven blue/green rayon base. The front center of the fold down panels has a machine woven national tri-color cockade, in black, white and red rayon threads, mounted on a woven, blue/green rayon, diamond shaped base. Both the eagle and the cockade are neatly handstitched to the cap. The cap has a very faint outline flanking the cockade where a branch of service soutache had been applied at one time. The soutache appears to have been applied in the correct manner, being inserted through two, small, puncture holes near the bottom edge of the cap with small remnants of lemon yellow rayon remaining behind the fold down panels indicating Signals service. The cap has been personalized by the original owner by the addition of a couple of stitches to the top center of the crown for a more relaxed appearance in spite of regulations prohibiting the practice. The interior of the cap is fully lined in ribbed, greyish tan cotton twill. The lining is well marked with the faint, black inkstamped, manufacturer’s name and location that appears to be, "Uniformmützenfabrik Wilhelm Wetnekam Dresden 21", the date, "1938", and the size "59". The cap is in overall good condition with light age and usage toning and some small areas of light moth grazing resulting in some lost nap and a couple of pin head sized holes.

GRADE ***1/2                             PRICE $595.00