BACKGROUND: The development of SS, Schutz Staffel, (Protection Squad), 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 Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS). At the beginning of WWII the Waffen-SS utilized four types of Quarter shelters/ponchos which consisted of the square army field-grey pattern, the triangular army field-grey pattern, the triangular army splinter camouflage pattern and assorted SS triangular camouflage patterns. As the war continued the SS developed and introduced new camouflage patterns and manufacturing techniques including the machine roller printed, Oak-leaf "B" pattern camouflage as developed in 1943, and based on the earlier Oak-leaf "A" camouflage pattern. The Oak-leaf "B" pattern was reworked and utilized through to 1945. The M31 Zeltbahn was a standard issue item and came accompanied with tenting accessories that consisted of the M1892 tent rope, the three piece M1901 breakdown tent pole, and two M1929 tent pegs enabling the individual to utilize his Quarter shelter with others to form a tent.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Water resistant, cotton duck construction, quarter shelter/poncho with machine roller printed, reversible, spring/autumn, Oak-Leaf "B" repeating splotch, camouflage pattern. The spring camouflage side is in assorted shades of green, tan and mid-brown while the autumn camouflage side is in assorted shades of orangish tans and browns. The colorations are still quite strong to both sides. The triangular shaped shelter, measures roughly, 8' 1", at the base edge and, 7' 3", at the side edges with a central, vertical, machine stitched seam. The shelter has a roughly, 12 1/2" long, opened slash with dual overlapping flaps, to the center, allowing it to be slipped over the head for wear as a poncho. The shelter retains fifty-six of its original sixty-two, natural sheet metal, dish buttons and most appear to have their original stitching. The buttons were positioned on the edges of the shelter with corresponding button holes allowing it to be buttoned together with other shelters to form assorted sized tents. The shelter has one, small and one, large natural alloy grommet to each of the base edge corners, one large grommet to the peak and an additional small grommet positioned at the center of the base edge. One of the smaller base edge corner grommets and the central base edge grommet each have a short inserted guide rope. The shelter is in overall very good condition with minor age and usage toning, a few small picks and pulls and the buttons show light to moderate surface spotting. The shelter has no visible manufacturer’s markings.