Original German Captured Soviet WWII Enlisted Ushanka Winter Cap with Period Applied Heer Artillery Insignia – dated 1940 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. An ushanka, also called an ushanka-hat, is a Russo fur cap with ear covering flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or fastened at the chin to protect the ears, jaw, and lower chin from the cold. An alternative is to bend the flaps back and tie them behind the head, which is called “ski-style” — this offers less protection from the elements, but much better visibility, essential for high-speed skiing. The dense fur also offers some protection against blunt impacts to the head. They are also traditionally worn in the Baltic region, including Sweden and Finland. The word ushanka derives from ushi (у́ши), “ears” in Russo and many Slavic languages.

This is a lovely service worn example, which has definitely led and interesting life! It still has the original markings on the interior, which look to give a size of 57, and a production date of 1940г. (г. is short for год, the Russian word for “Year”). However, on the front of the cap are period applied German Heer Army Artillery insignia, with a green and white BeVo eagle and BeVo tri-color cockade with a green background attached to the front. Between these is a Hochrot (Deep Red) V-shaped soutache, the Corps Color (Waffenfarbe) for Artillery, as well as General Level Officers. As this is an EM/NCO cap, it is definitely for Artillery.

This Ushanka was apparently captured at some point on the Eastern Front, and put into service by the Germans. Warm headgear was definitely in short supply early during the invasion, and items such as this were highly desirable, later being used by the Germans as a model for their own winter caps. It has a lovely service worn look, having seen use on BOTH sides of the eastern front in WWII.

This is a wonderful example that comes ready for further research and display.