BACKGROUND: Originally members of the fledgling SS 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 7^TH 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 25^TH 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 M42 field blouse was basically a continuation of the modifications of the M33 field blouse which had evolved into the M36 and then the M40 field blouses. Modifications to the M40 field blouse included increasing the front closure buttons from five to six in May 1941 due to degrading quality of the fabric used and the elimination of the pleats on the front pockets to simplify production in late 1942. These alterations resulted in the M42 field blouse. Of Note: The modifications were not always strictly adhered to. 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. 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.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Slightly mottled, field-grey, wool/rayon blend construction field blouse with a lay down collar, 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 scalloped tipped, button down flaps. The breast pocket 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. The eyelets were designed for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The reverse of the field blouse has two, vertical, tapering darts and a short, central, vertical tail skirt vent. The straight cut sleeve cuffs each have a small, vertical slash to the outside seam with dual, fit adjustment, buttons to each. The upper left sleeve has the dark, pronounced outline where an SS style eagle had been applied at one time. Just below the sleeve eagle outline is a standard, SS-Sturmmann’s rank chevron, consisting of a single, bright silver/aluminum, diamond patterned tress chevron, machine sewn to an inverted black wool construction triangular base. The insignia is handstitched to the sleeve. The shoulder strap fabric retaining loops and pebbled, buttons are intact but the slip on shoulder straps have been removed. The reverse of the lay down collar is lined in field-grey rayon with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave and has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching. The collar has the dark outline where collar tabs had been applied at one time. The interior of the field blouse is partially lined in grey rayon, 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 field dressing pocket with a single button closure. The lining also has four, vertical, grey rayon straps with four stitched eyelets to each, positioned to the reverse of the exterior belt support hook eyelets. The field blouse has no visible size or manufacturer’s markings. The field blouse shows light to moderate age and usage toning and moderate to heavy nap wear through-out. The front closure, exterior pocket and the shoulder strap buttons are all the field-grey painted, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal type while the cuff buttons are the molded green glass type and the field dressing pocket button is the ersatz, pressed, grey cardboard type and most of the buttons appear to have their original stitching. The field blouse is roughly size 42" chest.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $4,760.00