SEE BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION

S004761 EM/NCO'S M43 FIELD BLOUSE. (Feldbluse M43)

BACKGROUND: Originally members of the fledgling SS, Schutz Staffel, (Protection Squad), had no official uniform until April 1925 when they adopted, what was to become known as the, "Tradition Uniform" and personnel were outfitted with the same brown shirt uniform and kepi as the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment). In November 1925 personnel of the newly formed SS adopted a black kepi, necktie, breeches and border trim on their armbands to distinguish themselves from their SA counterparts. On July 7TH 1932 the black and earth grey service uniforms, for Allgemeine-SS, (General SS), SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbände, (SS-Death’s Head Units), and SS-SD, SS-Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS-Security Service and Security Police), personnel was first introduced to replace the brown shirt, "Tradition", uniform. In 1935 the first field-grey uniforms were issued to personnel serving with the LSSAH, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler for testing and evaluation and they were adopted as the official color of the field uniform on November 25TH 1935. In May 1936 a field-grey field blouse identical in cut to the earlier earth grey field blouse was introduced for all SS personnel. The SS 1936 pattern field blouse differed from the army version by having a field-grey collar and slash hip pockets. In 1937 a slightly modified field-grey uniform was introduced and was worn through-out the war with minor alterations that basically followed the same modifications of the army style uniforms. The M43 field blouse was basically a continuation of the modifications of the German army M33 field blouse which had evolved into the M36, the M40 and the M42 field blouses. Modifications to the M42 field blouse included the elimination of the separate, internal, belt support hook suspenders with them being replaced by short, integral, straps in April 1943, and the replacement of the scalloped button flaps on the front pockets to straight flaps to simplify production in mid-1943. These alterations resulted in the M43 field blouse, which was to be the final variant of the original M33 field blouse. Of Note: The modifications were not always strictly adhered to. The Waffen-SS field blouses followed the basic modifications of the army field blouses with minor variations that included four sets of only two belt support hook eyelets as opposed to the four sets of three belt support hook eyelets on the army versions. In 1939 the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), adopted waffenfarben, (Branch of Service Colors), with each branch of service being allocated a specific, identifying, color, which was generally displayed as piping on the shoulder straps/boards. SS Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result the SS established the SS-Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system in Munich in 1935. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s were allotted a one time clothing allowance from the government with the amount varying depending on the individuals rank. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could also choose to purchase privately tailored garments of higher quality although the price may have been restrictive. With the rapid expansion of the Waffen-SS after the outbreak of the war the SS-Kleiderkasse also expanded to include no fewer then nine main offices with offices located in some of the occupied countries including, Poland, Norway, France, Czechoslovakia and Russia. Also Of Note: After the outbreak of WWII the black service uniforms were eventually phased out of wear for all but Allgemeine-SS personnel. On June 8TH 1942 Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler ordered that all black service uniforms in the possession of Waffen-SS personnel were to be returned to clothing depots in an attempt to overcome material shortages. By 1943 even Allgemeine-SS were being outfitted with field-grey uniforms and the black uniforms were to be reintroduced at the successful conclusion of the war.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Slightly mottled, coarsely woven, field-grey, wool/rayon blend construction M43 field blouse with a lay down collar and small, fold back lapels, features a vertical, five button front closure with a single, metal, hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline. The field blouse has four, non-pleated, front pockets with straight edged, button down flaps. The breast pockets are the basic patch type while the hip pockets are the saddlebag type with expanding side panels. The field blouse has four sets of two, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets with one set situated at either side of the front closure and two to either side of the back panel, at the waistline, designed for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. Both the obverse and reverse of the field blouse have two, short, vertical tapering darts and the reverse also has a short, central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The straight cut, sleeve cuffs each have a small, vertical slash to the outside seams with a single stitched button eyelet and dual, corresponding fit adjustment buttons to each. The upper left sleeve has a second pattern, machine embroidered (rare type), SS sleeve eagle, with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons, in silver/grey rayon threads on a cut-out, woven, black wool base. The eagle is machine stitched to the sleeve in the typical zig-zag fashion. The slip on shoulder straps have been removed but the shoulder strap’s fabric retaining loops and pebbled buttons are intact. The reverse of the lay down collar has a reed green cotton/rayon backing with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave and the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching. The collar has no collar tabs or any visible evidence that they were ever applied. The interior of the field blouse is partially lined in grey rayon, with an HBT weave, with the lining running down the front closure panel edges and to the upper breast and back panels. The right front tail skirt lining has a vertical, patch, field dressing pocket with a single button closure. The lining also has four, vertical, grey, HBT weave rayon straps with four stitched eyelets to each, positioned to the reverse of the exterior belt support hook eyelets. The lining to the upper, right breast panel is well marked with black size inkstamps and, "SS-BW", within a rectangular border indicating, SS-Bekleidungswerke", (SS-Clothing Works). Of Note: The SS had established the SS-BW in Dachau as early as 1935 and by 1943 the Dachau works and an additional clothing works at Ravensbrück were producing roughly 20% of SS uniforms and headgear. The upper, right breast lining also has an additional faint, black, unknown inkstamp that appears to be a lower case, "t". The field blouse is in overall very good, unissued condition with minimal age toning. The front closure, exterior pocket and shoulder strap buttons are the field-grey painted, pebbled, alloy type and all retain over 95% of their original field-grey paint. The cuff fit adjustment and the field dressing pocket buttons are the molded grey bakelite type and all of the buttons appear to have their original stitching. The field blouse is roughly size 36" chest.

GRADE ****1/4                             PRICE $7,500.00

To Order this item, please use one of the two e-mail addresses below to contact us. Please make sure to quote the item number in your e-mail

MILITARIA WANTED!  If you have items for sale, please contact us. We specialize in selling single pieces and entire collections. Over 3 decades in the business and we do all the work for you. Get the best return for your investment.

-E-Mail Address pawmac@nbnet.nb.ca  Or  guild@nb.aibn.com

To return to the main page please CLICK below

HOME (CLICK HERE)