SEE BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION
SEE BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION
H085865 OFFICER'S MOUNTAIN CAP.
(Bergmütze)BACKGROUND: The Mountain cap was originally introduced for wear by Mountain, Ski and Jäger personnel in the German army in the early 1930's, with the design based on the M1909 caps worn by the German/Austrian Alpine troops in WWI. On May 2ND 1939 the Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), authorized wear of a distinctive edelweiss tradition badge by Mountain Troop personnel and the design of the badge was also based on a pattern worn by German/Austrian Alpine troops in WWI. The badge came in three forms with a cloth version for wear on the upper right sleeve of the service uniform, a stemless metal version for wear on the visor cap and a stemmed metal version for wear on the mountain cap. Of Note: From its inception the Bergmütze had no readily identifiable rank indicator although the buttons were to be field-grey for EM/NCO’s ranks, silver for Officer’s ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and gilt for General Officer’s ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall. Regulations of October 1942 introduced silver/aluminum or gold piping to the top crown edge as a rank indicator for Officer’s and General’s respectively. Although very similar to the M43 field cap, the Bergmütze was issued in considerably smaller quantities and is more scarce. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own headgear 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 headgear from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase headgear 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.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, private purchase field-grey, wool construction, Officer’s Mountain cap features a high, forward crown and fold down back and side panels with a scalloped front edge and forward sides with dual, molded tan/brown bakelite buttons to the front center. The back and side panels were designed to be folded down to protect the wearers ears and neck and the scalloped front section could be secured with the buttons closed under the wearer’s chin. The buttons have their original stitching. The crown edge of the cap is trimmed in interwoven silver/aluminum cord piping.
The front center of the cap features a machine woven, combined, national eagle in silver wire threads positioned above a machine woven, national tri-color cockade in black, silver and red threads, mounted on a machine woven, green rayon, "T" shaped base. The insignia is machine stitched to the cap. The left side panel of the cap has a 1939 pattern, stamped magnetic sheet metal, edelweiss with nine petals, two leaves, a single stem and a separate, sheet metal stamen. The edelweiss is handstitched to the cap in the typical fashion. The cap has a extended, forward, cloth covered visor with an internal stiffener with a subtly raised lip to the top of the forward edge and a single row of reinforcement stitching to the bottom of the forward edge. The interior of the cap is fully lined in dark grey rayon. The lining is well marked with a faint, black size inkstamp, "60" and "Bayer Mützen Pat", "München". The interior of the cap also has a partial, tan leather, sweatband to the front forehead section. Very nice cap.GRADE ****1/2 PRICE $1,785.00
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