BACKGROUND: The development of SS camouflage items was initiated by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler in 1935 when he tasked the Reichsführung-SS, (National Leadership of the SS), to begin research of new camouflage patterns and garments for use by the fledgling SS-VT, SS-Verfugüngstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops). In late 1936 and early 1937 the first SS camouflage garments were issued to personnel of the SS-VT Standarte Deutschland for field testing and evaluation. The first items evaluated were the Quarter shelters/ponchos, followed by steel helmet covers, face masks and smocks. As the war continued various other clothing items were produced in the assorted camouflage patterns. Originally the camouflage patterns were all produced in the time consuming manual screen printing until the development of the machine roller printing in 1940. By the end of the war no fewer then ten assorted camouflage patterns had been developed and used by the SS. After the devastating winter of 1941/42 on the Russian front the high command saw the need for heavier winter clothing and testing began in the spring of 1942 to develop suitable garments. In April 1942 Hitler approved the chosen design, and the first models were issued in the autumn of that year, in the reversible blue/grey/white colorations, which was modified to camouflage pattern/white combinations in 1943. Included with these new garments were heavy, padded, reversible winter hood. The SS followed the army’s lead and new winter camouflage items were issued in October 1943. The machine rolled, screen printed, Blurred Edge camouflage pattern was developed in 1941, and reworked through to 1944 for a wide variety of garments. As with other SS camouflage patterns the Blurred Edge was printed in two color schemes with a summer pattern consisting of random splotches in shades of browns, tans and greens and an autumn pattern in shades of browns and orangish/tan. Of Note: The winter garments were standard issue items and were distributed to all EM/NCO’s for the winter season, (September 15^TH to April 15^TH), and were to be returned to the units storage depot at the end of the season for repair, cleaning and reissue the following year.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Three quarter length, cotton/rayon blend construction, double breasted style parka with machine roller printed, autumn Blurred Edge camouflage pattern in random splotches of orangish/tans and browns to one side, reversible to white with an internal ersatz padding. The parka features a large, overlapping, vertical, six button front closure with a smaller, overlapping, wind flap. The parka has two, diagonally angled, slash hip pockets with scalloped edged, button down flaps. The parka has a tunnel loop and a small vertical slash to each side of the front closure, positioned horizontally, at the waistline with an inserted, woven fabric, fit adjustment drawstrap. The bottom edge of the tail skirt also has a tunnel looped, fit adjustment drawstring intact. The sleeve cuffs each have a tunnel loop and a small vertical slash with an inserted, button holed, woven fabric fit adjustment strap. The camouflage side has dual corresponding, fit adjustment buttons to each cuff but only one button remains to the white side of each cuff. The small vertical slashes at the waistline and cuffs permitted the fit adjustment straps to be utilized on both the camouflage and white sides. The elbow portion of the sleeves each have a dual-ply, vertically rectangular, reinforcement panel, machine stitched in place. The parka has an unpadded, dual-ply, integral hood, which is large enough to accommodate a helmet, with a tunnel looped drawstring and four, small, tapering darts to the forward edge. The hood drawstring is intact. The parka reverses to white with all the same features as the camouflage side. The parka has an internal, heat retaining padding through-out. The parka has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. The parka shows light to moderate age and usage toning and color fading through-out, giving it a muted appearance. The parka has numerous small picks and pulls, a few of fair sized tears and a couple of small, hand and machine stitched repairs. The buttons to the camouflage side are a combination of the pebbled, magnetic sheet metal and alloy types while the buttons to the white side are the ersatz, pressed, off-white cardboard type and roughly half appear to have their original stitching. The parkas were designed large enough to fit over the standard service uniform and this example is roughly size 40" chest.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $6,965.00