H066461 MEDICAL NCO'S M43 FIELD BLOUSE. (Feldbluse M43)

BACKGROUND: The M43 field blouse was basically a continuation of the modifications of the M33 field blouse which had evolved into the M36, the M40 and the M42 field blouses. Modifications to the M42 field blouse included the elimination of the separate, internal, belt support hook suspenders with them being replaced by short, integral, straps in April 1943, and the replacement of the scalloped button flaps on the front pockets to straight flaps to simplify production in mid-1943. These alterations resulted in the M43 field blouse, which was to be the final variant of the original M33 field blouse. Of Note: The modifications were not always strictly adhered to. 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. Of Note: Besides specific rank insignia NCO ranks were distinguished from enlisted ranks by the wear of NCO’s tress on the forward collar edge of the field blouse. 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 17TH 1934, with instructions to have it applied to all steel helmets, visor caps, and tunics by May 1ST 1934. Generally Officer’s ranks utilized hand or machine embroidered breast eagles while EM/NCO’s ranks utilized machine embroidered or machine woven breast eagles. 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. On the field blouse and service tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs. EM/NCO personnel holding the ranks of Schütze to Stabsfeldwebel inclusively who had achieved proficiency at a particular trade, specialty or function were distinguished on successful completion of the appropriate training, by being issued a distinctive trade specialty badge that was most commonly worn on the lower right sleeve of the service tunic or field blouse with a few exceptions. The original trade badges were introduced in 1934 and were supplemented with additional badges right up to mid-1944. In all the German army utilized no fewer then twenty-eight assorted trade specialty badges. Originally the trade badges were worked on a blue/green badge cloth base, but in early 1940 this was altered to a field-grey wool base or the appropriate color of the uniform it was to be worn on. Of Note: Each Division in the German Army of WWII had Divisional Support units which included a medical unit that normally consisted of two companies, a mobile field hospital and two ambulance platoons. Within these medical units EM’s and Junior NCO’s with basic medical training acted as medical orderlies or stretcher bearers under the command of Doctors with Officers ranks. The German army also maintained static hospitals in the rear areas for those with more severe wounds and those with the most serious injuries that would require long rehabilitation times would be sent to a hospital in their home military recruiting district within Germany. Generally the German field units preferred to care for their own wounded as much as possible as a convalescents transferred to a rear area static military or home military district hospital could potentially be dispatched to a new unit on their recovery.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Slightly mottled, field-grey, wool/rayon blend construction field blouse with a lay down collar features a vertical, six button front closure with a single metal hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline. 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 saddlebag type with expanding side panels. The right breast has a machine woven, M39 pattern, national eagle with outstretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons in matte grey rayon threads on a cut-out, woven, field-grey rayon base. The eagle is machine stitched to the breast, but looks to be restored to the tunic. The field blouse has four sets of three, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets with one set situated at either side of the front closure and two to either side of the back panel, at the waistline. The eyelets were designed for the belt support hooks. Two of the bent alloy belt support hooks are included. Both the obverse and the reverse of the field blouse have two, short, vertical, tapering darts and the reverse also has a short, central, vertical tail skirt vent. The straight cut sleeve cuffs each have a small, vertical slash to the outside seam with dual fit adjustment buttons to each. The lower right sleeve has a medical personnel’s trade badge with a field-grey wool base featuring a machine embroidered Asklepian, (serpent intertwined on a staff), in bright golden yellow rayon threads with a red tongue and black eye. The badge is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. Theoretically the trade badge should be trimmed in piping to indicate NCO ranks. The upper left sleeve has the faint outline and a few stitch holes where it appears a rank chevron had been applied at one time. The field blouse has the slip on shoulder strap’s fabric retaining loops and buttons intact, but the shoulder straps have been removed. The reverse of the lay down collar is in reed green cotton/rayon material and has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching. The forward edge of the collar is trimmed in matte, grey rayon, diamond patterned NCO’s tress and the collar has the second pattern, general issue, EM/NCO’s collar tabs as introduced on May 9TH 1940 for wear by all branches of service. The machine woven rayon collar tabs feature light, grey/green, ribbed litzen with mouse grey branch of service and center stripes. The NCO’s tress and the collar tabs are machine stitched directly to the collar with no backing material. The interior of the field blouse is partially lined in grey rayon, with the lining running down the front closure panel edges and to the upper breast and back panels. The right, front, tail skirt lining has a grey rayon, field dressing pocket with a single button closure. The lining also has four, short, vertical, grey, rayon straps with four stitched eyelets to each, positioned to the reverse of the exterior belt support hook eyelets. All five of the original collar liner buttons are intact. The right breast lining is well marked with black size inkstamps and, "M42", indicating it passed through the army’s clothing depot in Munich in 1942. The right breast lining also has the faint, partially illegible, black inkstamped manufacturer’s name and location that appears to be, Knegge & Peltz München. The field blouse is in overall good, well used, condition with moderate age and usage toning and nap wear through-out, and additional moderate chafe wear to the cuffs and collar edges. The front closure, exterior pocket and the shoulder strap buttons are all the field-grey painted, pebbled, alloy types while the cuff, field dressing pocket buttons and the collar liner buttons are a combination of the molded black bakelite, natural alloy dish and ersatz, grey pressed cardboard types. The front closure, exterior pocket and the shoulder strap buttons retain various amounts of their field-grey paint and about half of the buttons appear to have their original stitching. The field blouse is roughly size 42",(106.7cm), chest.

GRADE ***1/2                                                         PRICE $1,665.00