BACKGROUND: The German Heer, (Army), utilized a wide variety of long trousers and breeches including the M35 dress pants, the standard, straight legged, long pants, assorted breeches, drill and field pants, tapered "keilhose" pants and assorted, specialized, pants designed for specific branch of service personnel such as the Mountain Trooper’s pants and the Panzer and Assault Gunner’s pants. The HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), uniforms which consisted of a tunic and pants were originally introduced on April 1^ST 1933 to replace the earlier, Weimar Reichswehr era, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), work/drill uniforms and were intended to save wear and tear on the service uniform and the field blouse. Regulations prescribed that the work/drill uniform was the basic uniform to worn by all new recruits for most daily functions. Originally the work/drill uniforms were constructed in natural, unbleached cotton or cotton/rayon blends with an HBT weave that proved especially durable, but relatively impractical due to easy soiling. Regulations of February 12^TH 1940 altered the color of the work/drill uniforms to a more practical reed green coloration. The work/drill uniforms were utilized for the duration of the war with minor modifications and included a pair of basic, straight legged, long pants that were cut in the same style as the standard issue long pants with minor variations. In early 1942 a modified work/drill, summer combat uniform was introduced with the main modifications being to the tunic, while the pants remained basically the same. The alterations to the tunics included additional pockets and accommodations for shoulder straps/boards and the inclusion of a national breast eagle and rank insignia. The earlier work/drill uniforms were seldom worn by Officer’s ranks although the later, reed green, HBT summer combat uniforms were worn frequently by Officers after their introduction in 1942. 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.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Mid to later, war production, reed green, cotton/rayon blend construction, straight legged, summer combat pants with an HBT weave, feature a vertical, four button, French fly with an additional two buttons positioned on the horizontal waistband. The exterior, horizontal, waistband has four, evenly spaced, vertical, button down, fabric belt loops with one positioned on either side of the fly and the other two to the reverse center. The front of the pants have two, short, vertical, reverse pleats, two diagonally angled, slash, front pockets with single button closures and an additional, horizontal, slash, watch pocket with a straight edged, button down, flap, positioned beneath the right front waistband. The right front of the pants have the addition of a small, stitched on, metal ring, designed to secure a watch chain. The reverse of the pants have a single, horizontal, slash pocket with a single button closure to the right seat, two, short, evenly spaced, vertical, tapering darts and dual, horizontal, fit adjustment straps with corresponding, blued, magnetic sheet metal, toothed, gripper buckles to each. The buckles show light to moderate surface spotting. The horizontal waistband rides slightly higher at the reverse center, as is typical. The straight cut, dual ply, hemmed cuffs each have a horizontal, fit adjustment strap with a single button eyelet positioned at the inside seams with two, corresponding fit adjustment buttons. The interior, dual-ply waistband has a few loose threads where, presumably, suspender attachment buttons had been applied and two, vertical, fabric tabs with a single button to each positioned to the reverse center. The interior waistband is well marked with faint, black size inkstamps, an RB number and what appears to be, "M44", indicating the pants passed through the army’s clothing depot in Munich in 1944. 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 internal pocket bags are constructed in coarsely woven, off-white linen. The pants are in overall, excellent, unissued condition with minimal age toning and a few small picks and pulls, as is typical with the HBT material. All the buttons are the ersatz, pressed, brown cardboard type with a repeating, impressed, angular pattern to the obverse and impressed markings to the reverse consisting of the, "RADJ" inspection mark within an inverted triangle, indicating, Reichs Arbeits Dienst der Jugend, (National Labor Service for Females), the abbreviation, "Ges. Gesch.", indicating, Gesetzlich Geschützt, (Protected by Law), and presumably an unknown manufacturer’s initials, "S.K.B.K.", to each. All the buttons appear have their original stitching. The pants are roughly a size 34", (86.3cm), waist. Excellent examples in "straight from the factory", condition.

GRADE *****                             PRICE $975.00