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 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 "A" pattern camouflage as developed in 1941 and used for the duration of the war. 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 "A" 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', at the base edge and, 7' 2", 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 has seventy-two alloy, and sheet metal dish buttons intact. Of Note: The Shelters were originally issued with sixty-two buttons indicating this example has had buttons added. The buttons and corresponding button holes allowed the shelter to be worn as a poncho or joined together with other shelters to form assorted sized tents. The shelter has a single large alloy grommet at the peak corner and one small and one large alloy grommets positioned at the base edge corners. The shelter also has an additional small alloy grommet at the center of the base edge The autumn side has a narrow, dual-ply, outer edge, reinforcement strip that appears to be the Oak-Leaf B camouflage pattern. The shelter is in overall good condition with about a dozen small rips and tears and six small machine and handstitched repairs. The shelter has no visible manufacturing marks.

GRADE ***1/2                             PRICE $1,015.00