Tri-color Kriegsmarine Pith Helmet Shield

Product Description: This tri-color Kriegsmarine Pith Helmet Shield is a rare piece of insignia to find, as used by the wartime German Navy in tropical climates. Unlike the more common tri-color shield pattern used by the Heer and Luftwaffe, these Kriegsmarine shields do not have an outer border. This is an early, aluminum example. The black, white and red paint (indicating the national colors of the German Reich) is virtually perfect, with just a hint of wear, and bright original color. The pebbling on the obverse is as crisp as the day it was made. The reverse of this shield is pristine, with all three of the original flat aluminum prongs still intact. There is no indication this shield was ever mounted on a helmet. This desirable tri-color Kriegsmarine Pith Helmet Shield is an extremely clean example, in incredible, near mint condition, showing almost no age. It would be hard to find a nicer one.

Historical Description: The pith helmet is one of the most iconic aspects of the tropical uniform worn by German personnel in WWII. Besides being worn by Rommel’s Afrikakorps, pith helmets were also worn in all areas on the Southern Front, where tropical uniforms were issued. These areas included Italy, the Mediterranean, and southern Russia. Pith helmets were part of the uniform issued by the German Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, and the Waffen-SS. The chief visible difference among the pith helmets used by these various organizations, were the metal badges affixed to each side. These were made in the style of the branch decals used on the steel helmet. Early pith helmets were made with a twill fabric outer covering. Later, second pattern examples were covered with felt. As German troops withdrew from Afrika, many pith helmets sat unissued in warehouses, where they were recovered by Allied forces at the end of the war. At one time, later pattern examples were relatively common. With the passage of time, complete original examples, especially in nice condition, have become much harder to find.

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