M38 Heer Officer’s Overseas Cap

Product Description: This M38 Heer Officer’s Overseas Cap is really a very nice example of this field cap style. It’s a typical, private purchase cap. The exterior is made of a fairly coarse Feldgrau wool, very similar to that used for enlisted uniforms. The fabric shows no damage at all, and is near mint. The front of the cap is complete with a set of correct insignia, all original to the cap. The flat wire officer type Heer eagle and swastika emblem is an early type, with a light green backing. The cockade is hand-embroidered bullion. Both are hand sewn. The white Infanterie soutache shows slight, typical age toning, and is correctly punched through the front flap. It is machine sewn. The ventilation eyelets retain all of the original paint, and the silver braid, denoting an officer rank, is intact, with no issues. Inside, this M38 Heer Officer’s Overseas Cap has an interesting bright green rayon lining. There is a gray leather partial sweatband in the forehead area. There is no size or maker marking, which is common on these tailor made officer caps. This desirable Infantry officer cap is in outstanding condition, with little or no trace of ever having been worn. The condition rates as excellent plus.

Historical Description: The “side cap” was a part of the uniform worn by nearly all military, paramilitary, political and civil organizations in the Third Reich. It was a narrow hat that could be folded flat and tucked into a belt or haversack. This was, at the time, a very stylish type of uniform cap; in the German Army, it replaced the round “pork pie” style of field cap used in the Great War. The German name for this cap, in most organizations, was “Feldmütze”- field cap. Despite the name, it was often worn as a daily service cap by postal workers and other personnel who would never be deployed to the field.  The men and women who wore the side cap gave it the nickname “Schiffchen,” meaning little boat, due to its shape. The side caps were made in the same type of fabric as the uniforms, in the uniform color particular to each organization. The side caps were adorned with branch-specific insignia, usually bearing some form of the German eagle and swastika national emblem. Many side caps also bore red, white, and black national cockades. The insignia were usually embroidered or woven, but metal devices were used on some caps as well. Officer caps generally were distinguished by silver braid along the top edge and/or on the upper part of the flap at the front of the cap and were often custom tailored from fine fabrics. The German military, and many other organizations, had broadly replaced the side cap with a new, more practical cap featuring a brim, by 1943. But the side cap continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.

We are the leading team of military antique specialists. We have specialized in military antiques for over 25 years.

Epic Artifacts offers free evaluations and the highest prices available for your collectibles.

We purchase single items, entire collections, or family estates.

Click the link here to learn more: Free Evaluation or Inquiries 

or feel free to email us directly: info@epicartifacts.com