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H062163 MEDICAL OFFICER’S "CRUSHER" VISOR CAP. (Offiziersfeldmütze alter Art für Offizier )
BACKGROUND: Visor caps were a standard item for all Wehrmacht, (Armed Forces), personnel during the Third Reich period and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individual’s rank. Originally the insignia worn on the visor caps consisted of the Weimar Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era, pattern oak-leaf wreath and cockade and a blackened leather chinstrap for all ranks. In February 1927 new chin cords for Officer’s ranks were introduced with silver cords for the ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and gilt cords for the ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall. On March 14TH 1933 the Reichswehr’s oval black, red and gold cockade was replaced with a circular cockade in black, white, and red and on February 17TH 1934 the Third Reich pattern national eagle for the army was officially introduced for wear on the visor cap. In March 1935 a new, more detailed, pattern wreath and cockade and a second, larger pattern national eagle were also introduced for wear and in late 1935 regulations altered the Reichswehr era field-grey colored centerband to a dark blue/green coloration which was utilized until the end of the war. Further regulations of February 26TH 1936 also permitted senior NCO’s who were Officer Candidates to wear the Officer’s twisted, silver/aluminum chin cord on their visor caps as opposed to the standard EM/NCO’s leather chinstrap. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with cornflower blue being chosen for Sanitäts, (Medical), personnel which was displayed as piping on the visor cap for EM/NCO’s and Company and Field grade officers. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps 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 caps from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their caps from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored caps although the price may have been restrictive. Of Note: The "Crusher" style visor caps were introduced as a field cap for Officers in March 1934. In 1938 the Crusher style visor caps were to be replaced with the new, M38, Officer’s overseas style cap, with the wear-out period determined as April 1942. The Crusher style visor cap mimicked the standard style visor cap, with the exclusion of the internal, crown, stiffening wire, the sweat diamond/rhomboid and the external chincord and the usual vulcanfiber visor was generally replaced with a leather visor, leaving the cap very flexible, and giving the owner’s the ability to fold it and place it in a pocket if so desired. Due to its relaxed appearance and convenience the Crusher style visor cap proved very popular with the Officers.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Early, nice quality, private purchase, "Crusher" style visor cap with a field-grey wool construction body and crown, with a whipcord weave, a blue/green badge cloth centerband and cornflower blue wool waffenfarbe piping to the top crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the centerband. The cap has no internal, crown stiffening wire, but internal padding and a vertical, internal, stiffener to the front center give the cap a nice relaxed shape with overlapping side panels and a high, central, forward peak. The front center of the cap has a machine woven, second pattern, (circa 1935-1945), national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in matte grey rayon threads, mounted on a cut-out, woven, field-grey, rayon base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the cap. The front center of the centerband has a machine woven, oak-leaf wreath in bright, silver/aluminum, flat-wire threads, encompassing a machine woven, national tri-color cockade in black, silver/aluminum and red threads, all mounted on a cut-out, woven, blue/green, rayon base. The wreath/cockade are machine stitched to the cap in the typical zig-zag fashion. The cap has an extended, forward, black lacquered, leather visor with a machine stitched, simulated leather lip to the forward edge. The visor shows light to moderate surface scarring. The cap has no chin cord or any evidence that one was ever applied. The interior of the cap is fully lined in orangish/tan cheesecloth with the stitch outline of a removed sweat rhomboid. The lining shows light to moderate age and usage toning and has a faint black size inkstamp, "57". The interior of the cap also has an age and usage darkened, machine stitched on, tan leather sweatband fully intact. The reverse of the sweatband is well marked with manufacturer’s name and location, "Landes-Lief.-Gen. d Kürschner u. Mützen-Handwerks Berlin", (State Supply Cooperative/Association of the Furrier and Cap-Trade/Guild Berlin), the date, "1937", and an illegible black, unit inkstamp. The reverse of the sweatband also has additional unknown black inkstamps and handwritten script that includes a name with the prefix, "Dr," and four sets of unknown handwritten numerals. The cap is in overall fairly good condition with areas of moderate age and usage toning, numerous, pin-head, sized moth nips to the crown and waffenfarbe piping and spots of moderate color fading also to the waffenfarbe piping. Added June 24th Vendor reports that the unit markings are for "4. Reichsgrenadier-Division "Hoch- und Deutschmeister“.
GRADE *** PRICE $1,785.00
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