BACKGROUND: The DRK, "Deutsches Rotes Kreuz" (German Red Cross), a voluntary civil assistance organization originally instituted in 1864, was officially acknowledged by the Geneva Convention in 1929. In December 1937 it gained status as a legally recognized organization by the NSDAP. As with other essential services in Third Reich Germany, it came under control of the NSDAP in late 1938 under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior’s Social Welfare Organization.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A 1935 pattern Red Cross tunic, as used until the end of the war, constructed of grey wool, with a single-breasted, four-button front closure leading to a lay-down collar and lapels. A fifth button is under the right lapel, which could mate with a buttonhole to the left lapel. A pleated patch pocket, with scalloped, button-down flaps, is to each breast, and pleated, "saddlebag" pockets are to each hip, with similar flaps and buttons. Each cuff is open 6 3/4" along its reverse seam line, and is closed by a single, horn button along a French fly. A tail skirt vent rises 6 1/4" from the center of the base of the reverse. Dual wool loops are to each shoulder, through which pass the secondary straps to the underside of their shoulder boards. Both of these shoulder boards are 3/4" wide and 4" long, and feature, upon their light grey wool bases which extend to form visible piping along their edges, dual rows of doubled, silver-aluminum cord. These extend from their squared bases to wrap around buttons to their other, rounded ends, and each board has two, gilt-colored alloy "pips" fixed over their cords, indicating the rank of a "DRK-Hauptführer" (roughly equivalent to a Captain). The 5/8" diameter metal buttons to the shoulder straps, the 3/4" diameter alloy ones to the pockets, and the 7/8" diameter metal ones to the front closure all have silver-colored, convex, pebbled obverses. Although the reverses of the shoulder strap buttons cannot be seen, stamped to the reverses of each of the pocket buttons are the manufacturer’s name, "v.Hofe & Co.," and location, "Lüdenscheid." "Overhoff & Cie.," and a horizontal diamond with their initials within it, with "20 1/2" and "M" to either side of that, is stamped to the reverse of the button beneath the right lapel. "Besonders" (Particularly) and "Haltbar" (Durable), is stamped to the reverses of three of the four remaining buttons to the front closure, with the last having "Extra" and "Fein" to its reverse. Some of these buttons may have been re-sewn. Sewn to each side of the tunic’s differently-shaded grey collar are 1 1/4" x 2 3/8" collar tabs, in the form of light grey velvet vertical parallelograms piped in twisted aluminum cord, each with an alloy Geneva cross pinned to their centers, both of which are edged in silver and otherwise faced with red enamel. A chip may be seen to the lower arm of the cross to the left collar tab, and the velvet bases of each tab exhibit the expected nap wear. A second class, Social Welfare award ribbon, being 1 1/8" wide and red with white edges, is sewn to the inside of the left front panel, then passes diagonally along the outside and into the buttonhole above it. It exhibits light soiling and wrinkling, and has become unstitched along its top. Three vertical loops, for a ribbon or medal bar, are sewn above the left breast pocket, and two horizontal loops, for a ribbon-less breast medal, are sewn to the pleat of that pocket itself. Sewn to the lower left sleeve is a speciality insignia in the form of a grey wool diamond, 1 7/8" wide and 3" tall, upon which is embroidered a silver Aesculapius staff. This indicated that the wearer was a qualified doctor. A 3 1/2" x 5/16", horizontal bar of silver-aluminum tress, with a red, horizontal line running along its center, is sewn beneath the speciality insignia, and represents five years of service. The interior is fully lined in black rayon, but for the sleeves, which are lined in grey, pin-striped rayon. A horizontal slash pocket is to the interior left breast, beneath which is sewn a nickel-silver plated metal ring. A horizontal loop is sewn to the interior neck. The interior exhibits only light usage wear. Its wool exterior is equally lightly worn, but has a moth nip to its right breast pocket, smaller ones to each upper sleeve, and a small and almost unnoticeable tear to its lower back. Overall, it is in very impressive condition. Approximately a size 38.

GRADE ****1/4                             PRICE $868.00