BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops Adolf Hitler), and was redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9^TH 1925. On January 6^TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20^TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30^TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm Troopers), on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by Hitler by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party). From its inception the SS began an aggressive policy of expansion which resulted in the formation of the SS-SD, SS-Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS-Security Service and Security Police), in June 1931, the SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), and the SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbände, (SS-Death’s Head Units), in March 1933 which would eventually evolve into the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), in December 1939. The first pattern SS overseas cap was introduced in June 1934 for wear by EM/NCO’s serving with the Allgemeine-SS, the SS-VT, and the SS-TV. In 1937 an earth grey version of the first pattern cap was introduced and worn until a second pattern, overseas cap for EM/NCO’s was introduced on November 1^ST 1940. The M40 overseas cap was produced in field-grey for most personnel and black for panzer personnel and was similar in cut to the Luftwaffe’s "schiffchenform", (boat-form), overseas cap and was worn for the duration of the war. In 1939 the Waffen-SS adopted waffenfarben, (Branch of Service Colors), with each branch of service being allocated a specific identifying color which was originally displayed as a soutache on the front of the overseas cap until regulations of October 1942 abolished the use of the soutache and instructed it to be removed from the caps, although the directive was not strictly adhered to. Of Note: The Officers version of the M40 overseas cap was introduced in December 1939 and was slightly different then the EM/NCO’s version and was intended to be adopted for wear by all Officers as of January 1^ST 1940. Prior to the introduction of this overseas cap Waffen-SS Officers had no regulation field headgear and it was not uncommon for them to use the Army M38 overseas caps. On its introduction all Officers M40 overseas caps were piped in silver/aluminum braid until regulations of November 1^ST 1940 restricted wear of the silver/aluminum braid for Officers holding the rank of SS-Oberführer to Reichsführer-SS, while Officers with the ranks of SS-Untersturmführer to SS-Standartenführer utilized white piping. SS Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and headgear and as a result the SS established the SS-Kleiderkasse, (SS-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 choose to purchase privately tailored garments and headgear of higher quality although the price may have been restrictive. Also Of Note: The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was officially founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA Quartermaster’s Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and were marked by a cloth RZM/SS approval tag. The dimensions and design of these cloth tags was altered in 1935 and this second pattern tag remained in use until early 1938, when it was replaced by a paper tag. In 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Field-grey, wool/rayon blend construction M40 overseas cap with fold down side and back panels that slope gently downwards to the front center The front center of the cap has a second pattern, (circa 1936-1945), machine woven, SS style eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in silvery/grey rayon threads on a cut-out, woven, black rayon base. One of the eagle’s wings has a small tear. The front center of the fold down panels has a 1934 pattern, machine woven Totenkopf in silvery/grey rayon threads with black accents threads on a cut-out, woven, black rayon base. Both the eagle and the Totenkopf are neatly handstitched to the cap. The cap has no branch of service soutache or any evidence that one was ever applied. The interior of the cap is fully lined in grey rayon. The lining is well marked with a black size inkstamp, "59". The cap shows moderate to heavy moth surface grazing resulting in large areas of lost nap and about a half dozen small holes.

GRADE **3/4                             PRICE $2,975.00