Original German WWII Luftwaffe Officer Schirmmütze Visor Cap by Alleste Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice service worn condition Luftwaffe Officer’s Schirmmütze Visor Cap by Alleste of Berlin, a known maker of these caps. An honest example with a wonderful swept back shape. It has the “crusher cap” saddle appearance, which we all love, with the standard high front.

This Officer’s Schirmmütze Visor Cap was a very high quality manufactured visor. Fabricated in Luftwaffe blue gray Fliegerblau (Flier’s Blue) wool, with wide black ribbed wool cap band, plus three rows of fine silver bullion piping around the circumference. Fronted by a heavy bullion embroidered Luftwaffe insignia pair that includes a silver bullion national eagle on a wool backing above a high relief silver bullion oak leaf wreath with stylized wings and tri color cockade.

The visor on this cap is the standard “vulcanfibre” with black patent faux leather stitched around the edge, and a green underside. The cap seems to be approximately a size 56, and has rubberized fabric faux leather liner, which has cracked in several places, and is now quite stiff. The interior is also lined with soft blue cotton, which does have some staining and tears. The celluloid diamond sweat shield at the top is completely missing, along with most of the stitching for it. The makers name and address is however still fully visible:

Alleste
Berliner Uniform – Mützenfabrik
Berlin – S W
Wilhelmstraße 110

Overall the condition is good, but it does show overall light use and wear. There is some oxidation and discoloration on the bullion piping and adornments, as well as a bit of fraying. There is staining on the outer shell in places, as well as on the interior from sweat. However it still presents magnificently.

A truly quality Luftwaffe officer cap of the mid-war style with silver bullion embroidered cockade and eagle. Ready to display!

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.