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 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. 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. Generally speaking officers bought nice quality, private purchase, uniform items but they could also choose to buy their uniforms directly from the military clothing depots. The Kriegsmarine parade jacket was a standard issue item for all enlisted and junior NCO personnel and closely followed the design of the Imperial German Navy and Reichsmarine era parade jackets with minor modifications. Regulations of September 6^TH 1939 prohibited wear of the parade jacket, except on special occasions as ordered, until the successful conclusion of the war. The Kriegsmarine parade jacket was a standard issue item for all enlisted and junior NCO personnel and closely followed the design of the Imperial German Navy and Reichsmarine, (National Navy, Circa 1919-1933), era parade jackets with minor modifications. Regulations of September 6^TH 1939 prohibited wear of the parade jacket, except on special occasions as ordered, until the successful conclusion of the war. On entering Kriegsmarine service all personnel were assigned and trained for a specific career. These careers consisted of a wide variety of specialty trades and functions with some of the careers restricted to certain rank groups. On successful completion of the appropriate training, personnel were issued distinctive career insignia to be worn on the upper left sleeve of the uniforms. For EM/NCO’s the career insignia could be worn combined with the rank insignia or as separate insignia. Enlisted ranks of Matrose up to and including Hauptgefreiter career insignia were generally embroidered on small, round, bases while NCO ranks of Maat up to and including Oberdeckoffizier career insignia were on larger, vertically oval bases and could come in embroidered or stamped alloy versions.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, dark, navy blue doeskin wool construction, waist length, Bolero/Spencer style, simulated, double breasted, parade jacket with open, fold back, up-swept, peak lapels and a small lay down collar. The jacket has a central, vertical, front opening with nine, stitched button eyelets to each side. Only the top button eyelets are cut opened and the lower eight are just ornamental. The jacket was designed to remain open with a retaining, shackle chain, with dual buttons, worn through the top button eyelets. The shackle chained, closure buttons are included. The jacket features a vertical, parallel row of nine ornamental buttons to each side of the front breast panels with an additional button positioned beneath each lapel. One of the buttons on the left front, side panel has come un-stitched, but is included. The right breast has a machine embroidered national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in its talons, in golden yellow rayon threads, mounted on a cut-out, navy blue wool base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to jacket. The left breast has a Commemorative Medal of 1^ST October 1938 ribbon bar with a Prague Castle bar, and two horizontal thread loops for wear of an award. The straight cut, non-adjustable, sleeves have Brandenburg style cuffs with a horizontal panel at the bottom edge and a small vertical panel to the forward edge with five, vertically aligned, ornamental buttons. One button on the left cuff is absent. The upper left sleeve features a Narvik Campaign Shield and separate career and rank insignia. The gilt washed, stamped alloy, Narvik campaign shield features an embossed, stylized, national eagle with down-swept wings, clutching a wreathed, static swastika in its talons, to the top center, positioned above the embossed script, "Narvik 1940", an edelweiss flower and a crossed propeller and anchor. The edelweiss, propeller and anchor represent the Heer Gebirgsjäger, (Army Mountain troops), the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe respectively, that participated in the victory at Narvik. The shield has a raised lip to its outer edge and retains about 90% of its original gilt wash and is mounted on a vertically oval, navy blue wool, base which is handstitched to the sleeve. The career insignia consists of a machine woven, five point star in golden yellow cotton threads on a circular, navy blue wool base. The rank insignia consists of a single ribbed, gilt wire tress chevron mounted on an inverted, triangular, navy blue wool base. The insignia indicates a Bootsmann’s, (Boatswains/Sea Service) career, with the rank of Obermatrose/Gefreiter. Of Note: The rank designation Obermatrose was in effect from 1933 until January 31^ST 1938 when it was re-designated Gefreiter which was utilized until the end of the war. Both pieces of insignia are neatly handstitched to the sleeve. The peak lapels each have a closed stitched button eyelet with a corresponding ornamental button positioned on the breast at the juncture of the lapels and lay down collar. The jacket has no shoulder boards or collar tabs as per regulations. The interior of the jacket is fully lined in ribbed black rayon with off-white, blue and tan striped sleeves. The lining has a horizontal slash pocket to both left and right breast panels and an additional, small, diagonally angled, slash pocket to the left breast panel. The left sleeve lining is well marked with black inkstamped markings which include, "B.A.K. 8. 2. 39", and sizing, within a "boxy" "T" shaped border. The inkstamp signifies, Bekleidungsamt Kiel , (Clothing Depot Kiel), with issue date of February 8^TH 1939. The lining also has the red, chain stitched, personal roster number and a separate, white, rayon tag with the machine woven owner’s name in red rayon threads. The chain stitched roster number consists of, "O2453" with a horizontal separating line positioned above "39 S" and indicates the owner was the 2453^RD person inducted into the navy in 1939, and was a nautical personnel assigned to the Baltic Sea. The white rayon tag has the machine woven owners name, "Zinndorf". The jacket is in overall very good condition with minimal nap wear to the collar and cuff edges. The buttons are all the fire gilted, alloy type with an embossed fouled anchor on a horizontally ribbed field with a simulated, twisted, rope outer border and all appear to have their original stitching. The jacket is roughly size 38" chest.

GRADE ****1/4                             PRICE $1,428.00