BACKGROUND: German Naval uniforms and headgear were based on traditional designs that date back to the creation of the Prussian Navy in 1848, and although the uniforms and headgear did evolve during the interim years, many items used during the Third Reich would still have been quite recognizable to the Imperial sailor. The white work/drill uniform was originally introduced into the Prussian Navy and was carried over into the Weimar Reichsmarine, (National Navy, Circa 1919-1933), era and eventually the Kriegsmarine with minor variations. The white work/drill uniform for EM and Junior NCO ranks consisted of a white shirt and pants for EM’s and a white shirt, jacket and pants for the Junior NCO’s and was utilized as the standard uniform for shipboard, barracks and infantry drill duties. Regulations of February 5^TH 1940 discontinued issue of the white work/drill shirt for Junior NCO’s to be replaced with the blue jumper shirt. Of Note: In 1940 a field-grey version of the work/drill uniform was introduced which were also used as a summer duty uniform. Although the colors white and field-grey were the official colors other colors were also utilized including the army’s reed green versions, on a limited basis. Originally enlisted personnel didn’t wear any insignia on the work/drill tunics but NCO’s did. After 1940 when the work/drill uniforms were utilized as a summer duty uniform EM’s also began wearing insignia on them. In late 1941 or early 1942 the work/drill jackets were modified with the addition of breast pockets. The Kriegsmarine adopted a slightly modified version of the NSDAP’s, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), national eagle for wear on the front of the headgear and the right breast of the uniform on March 24^TH 1934. The Kriegsmarine’s version of the national eagle was identical to the army version except for the coloration with the army utilizing silver, white and grey eagles while the Kriegsmarine utilized golden yellow eagles. Of Note: The only exceptions in the coloration of the Kriegsmarine eagles was that personnel serving in the Administrative branch utilized a silver eagle while eagles worn on the white jumper shirts were in cornflower blue. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and headgear and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the OKK, Offizier Kleiderkasse der Kriegsmarine, (Officer’s Clothing Account of the Navy). Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms and headgear from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored items although the price may have been restrictive.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Reed green, cotton/rayon blend construction field blouse with an HBT weave, features a vertical, five button, front closure with a single metal hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline and a lay down collar. The field blouse has four, pleated, patch, front pockets with scalloped button down flaps. The right breast has a machine woven, national eagle with outstretched wings, clutching a canted swastika in its talons, in bright golden yellow rayon threads on a cut-out, woven, dark blue/green rayon base. The eagle is hand stitched to the field blouse and most likely restored to the tunic. The left breast has four, horizontal, thread loops for wear of awards. The mid-front, tail skirt has a vertical tapering dart to each side of the front closure. The field blouse has a single, stitched eyelet positioned at each side of the waistline for a belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The straight cut, non-adjustable sleeves and simulated French cuffs. The field blouse has the shoulder straps fabric retaining loops and buttons intact but the slip on shoulder straps are absent. The lay down collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar has the machine woven, rayon construction, coastal artillery style collar tabs consisting of ribbed, field-grey litzen, an interwoven, white center stripe and golden yellow branch of service stripes. The collar tabs are machine and handstitched directly to the collar. The unlined interior of the tunic has a patch pocket to the left breast panel and dual, vertical, rayon straps with dual stitched eyelets to each, positioned at each side panel at the waistline, designed to secure the belt support hooks. All five, molded black, bakelite, collar liner buttons are intact and appear to have their original stitching. The field blouse has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. The field blouse is in overall very good condition with a few small picks and pulls as is typical with the HBT material, minor age and usage toning and light chafe wear to the cuffs and collar edges. The buttons, excluding the collar liner buttons, are the correct, field-grey painted, stamped magnetic sheet metal and alloy, coastal artillery types and all feature a vertically embossed, fouled anchor on a pebbled field encompassed by a raised ring. The buttons are the removable type secured by circular rings and they retain assorted amounts of their field-grey paint. The field blouse is roughly size 40" chest.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $1,190.00