BACKGROUND: Visor caps were a standard item for all military personnel during the Third Reich period and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individuals rank. On its inception on February 26^TH 1935, the Luftwaffe adopted most of the uniform items of the earlier DLV, Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports League), its clandestine, civilian forerunner, including the visor cap. In March 1935 the earlier, "Tellerform", saucer shaped, caps were replaced with a new a "Sattelform" cap with a higher front peak and an oval shaped top. The insignia utilized on the visor caps consisted of the Luftwaffe style national eagle as introduced for wear by Fliegerschaft, (Pilot Base), personnel of the DLV on August 18^TH 1934 and was officially adopted for wear by all Luftwaffe personnel on March 1^ST 1935 along with a new winged wreath and national tri-color cockade. The visor caps for Company and Field grade Officer’s holding the ranks of Leutnant up to Oberst were distinguished from EM/NCO’s caps by bright silver/aluminum piping and a silver/aluminum chin cord while Officers holding Generals ranks of Generalmajor up to Reichsmarschall utilized gold colored fittings. EM/NCO ranks visor caps utilized the appropriate waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), piping and blackened leather chinstraps. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the Luftwaffe’s Verkaufsabteilung, (Air-Force Sales Department), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their caps from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps 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, Luftwaffe blue/grey, wool/rayon blend construction visor cap with a subtle, whipcord weave features a black, horizontally ribbed, interwoven, mohair centerband, and bright, interwoven silver/aluminum piping to the crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the centerband. The internal cap crown stiffening wire has been removed but a vertical stiffener to the front center and internal padding give the cap a nice Sattelform shape with a overlapping side panels and a high, central, forward peak. The front center of the cap has a small, hand embroidered, early pattern, (Circa March 1935-1936/37), "droop-tailed", Luftwaffe eagle clutching a canted, swastika in it’s talons in bright, silver/aluminum wire threads with bright silver bullion and tan accent threads on a cut-out, Luftwaffe blue/grey wool base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the cap. The front center of the centerband has a hand embroidered, winged, oak-leaf wreath in bright, silver/aluminum wire threads, encompassing a hand embroidered, national tri-color cockade. The wreath has black, silver bullion and tan accent threads and the national tri-color cockade is constructed in black and silver/aluminum wire threads with a central, red, screen vented dot. The winged wreath and cockade are mounted on a cut-out, black, wool base which is also handstitched in place. The wreath and cockade show light to moderate oxidization spotting. Of Note: The Robert Lubstein firm of Berlin held the patent for the vented cockade but this example has no visible ventilation allowances to the interior. The cap has an interwoven, twisted, silver/aluminum, braid, chin cord which is secured to the cap by two, small, silver washed, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal buttons. The cap has a forward, extended, blackened lacquered, vulcanfiber visor with a subtly raised lip near the forward edge. The visor doesn’t have the usual simulated, leather trim to the forward edge or any evidence that one was ever applied. The interior of the cap is fully lined in two grades of golden tan rayon with ribbed rayon to the body and a smooth finished rayon to the crown. The lining to the interior crown has a clear celluloid sweat rhomboid almost fully intact with one small tear. The lining beneath the sweat rhomboid is well marked with the faint, illegible, impressed manufacturer’s markings that appears include "Erel", indicating manufacture by the Robert Lubstein firm of Berlin. The interior of the cap also has a wide, chocolate brown leather sweatband with ventilation perforations to the front forehead section. The reverse, vertical seam of the sweatband has a small cardstock label stitched in place with the black printed size, "55". The sweatband has the impressed, silvered, script which includes the manufacturer’s acronym, "Erel", and "Patent, Stirnschutz", (Patent Forehead Protection). The reverse of the sweatband has an additional black size inkstamp, "58",?, and the blue inkstamped date that appears to be, "8 Juni 1943". The cap shows light to moderate age and usage toning through-out and about a dozen small rips and tears.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $1,250.00