S022569 TROPICAL SAHARIANA FIELD BLOUSE.
(Tropen Feldbluse)BACKGROUND: Originally tropical uniforms, headgear and equipment were first developed and introduced by the German army, in late 1940 and early 1941 for wear by DAK, Deutsches Afrika Korps, (German Africa Corps), personnel serving in North Africa. As the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), were not engaged in North Africa they were not originally included in the issue of tropical items. Regulations issued in early 1941 actually prohibited Waffen-SS personnel from wearing any army tropical garments and headgear in spite of the fact that components of the Waffen-SS had served in tropical regions in the Balkans, Greece and southern Russia as early as 1941. Although the development of tropical clothing had been discussed as early as 1940, tropical clothing regulations weren’t officially addressed until 1943 as the widespread use of camouflage clothing and headgear generally overrode the need. Eventually, (circa 1943), the Waffen-SS developed assorted tropical uniforms and headgear that basically followed the same patterns of the continental items. Included with the tropical garments was the "Sahariana" style field blouse which was based on the popular Italian "Sahariana" bush jacket. Regulations dictated that the insignia for the tropical field blouse consisted of the golden/tan, tropical sleeve eagle as introduced in December 1942, the golden/tan, tropical sleeve rank insignia and the standard shoulder straps/boards but no collar tabs, although they were worn occasionally in spite of regulations.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Light-weight, subtly ribbed, tan, cotton twill construction, tropical, "Sahariana" style field blouse features a vertical, four button front closure with small fold back lapels and a lay down collar. The field blouse has two, non-pleated, patch, breast pockets with the unique, scalloped tipped, button down flaps that are a part of an over-lapping, shoulder yoke. The shoulder yoke covers both shoulders and runs down over the breast and back panels with scalloped tips to the bottom edges. The field blouse also has two, large, non-pleated, saddle bag, patch, pockets with expanding side panels and scalloped tipped, button down flaps. The field blouse has straight cut, dual-ply, hemmed, sleeve cuffs with a small, vertical slash to the outside seams with dual fit adjustment buttons to each. The upper left sleeve has a second pattern, (Circa 1942-1945), machine woven, tropical SS sleeve eagle with out-stretched wings clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in its talons in golden/tan rayon threads on a cut-out, woven, black, rayon base. The eagle is machine stitched to the sleeve. The field blouse’s shoulder strap fabric retaining tunnel loops are intact but the slip on shoulder straps and retaining buttons are absent. The reverse of the lay down collar has the typical, zig-zag reinforcement stitching. The collar has no collar tabs or any evidence that any were ever applied, as per regulations. The armpits each have four stitched, ventilation eyelets. The unlined interior has reinforcement panels around the armpits and to the reverse of the exterior pockets the interior of the field blouse also has a horizontal, rayon tunnel loop situated at the waistline with dual, horizontal, tunnel looped, tan cotton, fit adjustment tie strings. The interior of the field blouse has a grey rayon, field dressing pocket with a single button closure to both the left and right, forward, tail skirt. Nice Rbnr# markings. One sewing repair to the lower right front. Couple of small holes in the right sleeve. Roughly 40" chest. Nice, all original "S" ring tropical buttons.
GRADE **** PRICE $1,785.00
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