BACKGROUND: The evolution of the Hermann Göring Panzer Division can be traced back to at least January 12^TH 1934 when the Landes Polizei Gruppe Wecke z.b.V, (State Police Group Wecke for Special Purposes), was renamed Landes Polizei Gruppe General Göring. On September 23^RD 1935 the Landes Polizei Gruppe General Göring was transferred from control of the Police to control of the Luftwaffe and was renamed, Regiment General Göring. On March 1^ST 1942 the Regiment General Göring was expanded to become the Reinforced Regiment (mot.) Hermann Göring. The Reinforced Regiment (mot.) Hermann Göring was upgrade to Brigade status on July 21^ST 1942 and to Divisional status on October 17^TH of that year. The Hermann Göring Division was virtually completely destroyed in North Africa in May 1943 and the survivors were reformed into the Hermann Göring Panzer Division on July 15^TH 1943. As a Panzer division, personnel were issued with the black panzer wrap tunic and pants. The black panzer wrap tunic and pants were originally introduced by the army on November 12^TH 1934, for wear by armored vehicle personnel and was worn through-out the war with minor modifications in 1936 and 1942. Allegedly Chief of the motorized troops, Oberst Heinz Guderian came up with the coloration and design of the form fitting uniform which he based on a popular ski outfit of the time. Black was chosen as the color as it help conceal the grease and grime commonly encountered by motorized personnel. The different branches of service within the Luftwaffe were allocated specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), and on March 12^TH 1936 personnel serving with the Regiment General Göring were allotted white waffenfarbe. On the field blouse, service tunic and Panzer wrap tunic the waffenfarbe was generally displayed on the shoulder straps/boards and the collar tabs. Of Note: Although Hermann Göring unit personnel were allotted white waffenfarbe the standard army waffenfarbe color for Panzer units was pink and it was also occasionally utilized by Hermann Göring unit personnel. Also Of Note: The Hermann Göring Panzer Division was redesignated, Hermann Göring Fallschirm-Panzer Division on January 6^TH 1944 and was used as a cadre for the formation of the Hermann Göring Fallschirm-Panzer Korps in September 1944. Also Of Note: Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the Luftwaffe’s Verkaufabteilung, (Air-Force Sales Department), 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: Second pattern, (circa 1936), black wool/rayon blend construction, waist length, double breasted style tunic with fold back lapels and a large lay down collar. The left front closure panel of the tunic has four, hidden, button eyelets and an additional three, un-hidden button eyelets on the fold back lapel. The right front closure panel has four, large, corresponding buttons and three, smaller buttons all intact. The edge of the right front closure panel has an additional two small buttons underneath the overlapping left closure panel with two, internal, fabric loops for a secure closure with a neat appearance. The top button hole on the left lapel has an Iron Cross 2^ND class ribbon and a Russian Front ribbon inserted and handstitched in place. The tunic has a single metal hook and eye at the forward neckline. The right breast has a hand embroidered Luftwaffe eagle in bright, silver/aluminum bullion and wire threads with tan accent threads, clutching a canted swastika in it’s talons, mounted on a cut-out, Luftwaffe blue/grey, badge cloth base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the tunic. The eagle has a few loose accent threads and small parts of the cardboard template are just visible. The left breast has four, horizontal, thread loops for wear of awards. The tunic has no exterior pockets. The reverse of the tunic has a central, vertical, seam and two, vertical, tapering darts. The side panels of the tunic each have four, vertically aligned, horizontal, thread reinforcements with a small, vertical, slash between each, positioned at the waistline and designed for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The sleeve cuffs each have a small, vertical, outside seam slash with dual fit adjustment buttons to each. The lower right sleeve has a "Hermann Göring" cufftitle machine stitched just above the vertical cuff slash. The navy blue, doeskin wool construction cufftitle features machine embroidered block letter Latin script, "Hermann Göring", in light, silver/grey rayon threads. The cufftitle is border at both the top and bottom edges in silver/grey Russian braiding. The cufftitle has a few small picks to the edge braiding and shows light age and usage toning. The tunic has slip on shoulder boards of bright, silver/aluminum, Russian braid with a single, stamped alloy, rank pip to each and white wool waffenfarbe bases. The shoulder boards have narrow white wool slip on tongues. The shoulder board fabric retaining loops and pebbled, alloy, retaining buttons are all intact. The tunic has a large lay down collar with the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The forward edge of the collar is not piped as per regulations of late 1942. The collar features elongated, black wool, collar tabs with the typical, silver washed, stamped alloy, Danziger style Totenkopf cyphers and white rayon waffenfarbe piping to the outside edges. The Totenkopf cyphers retain about 90% of their silver wash with minimal age tarnish. The collar tabs are machine stitched to the collar. The interior breast panels are lined in ribbed, greyish/tan, cotton twill. The lining has a horizontal slash, patch pocket to the right breast panel and a vertical slash patch pocket to the left breast panel. The right breast pocket is well marked with a black inkstamped RB number and the left breast panel has faint black inkstamped size markings. Of Note: The RB numbers, Reichsbetriebnummer, (National factory code numbers), were introduced in late 1942 and were intended to replace the manufacturer’s marks on garments and equipment to conceal the manufacture’s name and location from the allies, to prevent bombing raids on German industrial factories. The lining has had the vertical, belt support straps removed. The tunic is in overall very good condition with minor nap wear to the cuff and collar edges and minimal age and usage toning. All the buttons, excluding the pebbled alloy shoulder board retaining buttons, are the molded black bakelite type and have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly size 40" chest. The tunic comes complete with a pair of modified, black panzer trooper’s trousers. The black wool/rayon blend construction trousers have been modified by machine stitching the front fly closed and replacing it with an alloy "Ri-Ri" zipper closure on the left side seam. The integral, tunnel looped waist belt has also been removed. The reverse vertical seat seam also appears to have been let out. The trousers have two, slightly diagonally angled, slash front pockets with scalloped button down flaps. The front of the trousers also have a horizontal, slash, watch pocket situated just below the right waistband. The reverse of the trousers have two, horizontal, slash pockets with scalloped, button down flaps. The cuffs have dual, vertical, tapering darts and a vertical slash to the outside seams with a single button closure to each. The cuffs each have a horizontal, tunnel looped, fit adjustment drawstring intact. The interior waistband and crotch lining and the internal pocket bags are all constructed in ribbed, white cotton/rayon blend material. The waistband is well marked with purple size inkstamps and a blue inkstamped RB number. The trousers are in overall very good condition with small areas of minimal nap wear. The buttons are all the molded black bakelite type and all have their original stitching. The modifications where period done by the original HG member and the zipper still functions. The trousers are roughly size 32" waist. This set has was originally directly acquired from the US vet who liberated it in Italy and brought it home in 1945. It resided in my personal collection for a while as well. Needless to say, original untouched HG PZ uniforms very seldom turn up for sale.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $13,685.00