Original Excellent Condition German WWII Wehrmacht Army Heer Infantry EM – NCO Visor Cap – Size 54 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This cap is a great example of a German WWII Wehrmacht Heer Army EM / NCO Schirmmütze (visor cap), in excellent condition. It features the typical green wool construction with a forest green band and a traditional high forward crown. The cap also has matching Weiß (white) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, the Corps Color (Waffenfarbe) for infantry and motorized infantry.

It is decorated with a well detailed silvered aluminum eagle insignia on the peak and and an open silvered aluminum wreath surrounding a tri-color cockade on the band. The dual-buckled black leather chinstrap, designating the wearer to be an enlisted man, is attached to black lacquered buttons on either side. The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting wear along the edge and is brown on the underside. The brown leather sweatband is in excellent supple condition and is unmarked.

The inside of the cap is lined orange lightweight “service cloth” style fabric. The top plastic shield is completely missing, the only real wear on the entire cap. It most likely became brittle over time and fell away, as the stitching is still almost completely intact. There is a silver number 54 stamped on the inside of the crown, indicating that size. The entire cap shows very little wear of any kind, and it is in almost unissued condition.

A great example of the classic hat worn by German Army Infantry NCOs in WWII.

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.