BACKGROUND: Visor caps were a standard item for all personnel during the Third Reich period and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individuals rank. Officer and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the army’s Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their caps from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their caps from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored caps although the price may have been restrictive. Originally the insignia worn on the visor caps consisted the Weimar Reichsheer patterns which included a blackened leather chinstrap for all ranks. In February 1927 new chin cords for Officer ranks were introduced with silver cords for the ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and gilt cords for the ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall. Regulations of February 26TH 1936 also permitted senior NCO’s who were Officer Candidates to wear the Officers twisted silver/aluminum chin cord on their visor caps as opposed to the standard EM/NCO’s leather chinstrap. Of Note: Both the first pattern Reichsheer era visor cap eagle and wreath were replaced with the second pattern in March 1935. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a particular identifying waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with lemon yellow being chosen for Signals personnel which was displayed as piping on the visor cap. The "Crusher" style caps were introduced as a field cap for Officer’s in March 1934. In 1938 the Crusher caps were to be replaced with the new M38 Officers overseas style cap, with the wear-out period determined as April 1942. The Crusher style cap mimicked the visor cap, with the exclusion of the internal top stiffening wire, chin cord and sweat diamond, leaving the cap very flexible, and giving the owners the ability to fold it and place it in a pocket if so desired. Due to its relaxed appearance and convenience the Crusher cap proved very popular with the Officer’s.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Private purchase, "Crusher" style visor cap with a field-grey doeskin wool construction body and crown and a blue/green badge cloth centerband. The cap features wide, lemon yellow wool waffenfarbe piping to the top crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the centerband. The cap has a very relaxed, "jaunty" appearance. The front center of the cap has a machine woven national eagle in bright silver/aluminum flat-wire threads on a cut-out, woven dark blue/green rayon base. The front center of the centerband has a machine woven oak-leaf wreath in bright silver/aluminum flat-wire threads, encompassing a machine woven national tri-color cockade in black, silver/aluminum and red flat-wire threads, all mounted on a cut-out woven dark blue/green rayon base. Both the eagle and the wreath/cockade are neatly handstitched to the cap. The cap has an extended, forward, pliable, blackened lacquered leather visor. The interior of the cap is fully lined in ribbed two grade of gold rayon. The interior of the cap has a wide, mid-brown leather sweatband fully intact which is still quite supple, but has two tears. Full original sweat diamond and size marked 56 ½. Cap was stored poorly and has some creases to the centerband material. It should go back into place nicely if put on the head form for display. Getting hard to find!