Original German WWII Army Heer EM/NCO Infantry Visor Crush Cap – Size 53 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice condition German WWII EM/NCO Infantry Schirmmütze Visor Cap, with a lovely “Crushed” shape. This “saddle-form” shape is highly desirable, and later in the war caps were made without stiffeners, so they would have this shape from the start. This example has actually had the stiffener inside bent in two places to give the look, but to still have a stiffer top brim.

The cap shows high quality fabrication, made with typical Heer army feldgrau (Field Gray) green / gray wool with a forest green band and a traditional high front, with matching white Waffenfarbe (corps color) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, indicating the branch to be 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 cap has the correct black patent leather chin strap, indicating issue to an Enlisted man or NCO. The visor / peak on this cap is black-finished “vulcanfibre”, the usual material seen on these caps.

The cap is lined with tan light oilcloth and still has the original celluloid diamond, though it is cracked in areas. The size 53 is still visible under the plastic, but there is no maker marking listed anymore. The brown oilcloth sweatband is present, though it does show some wear and degradation. This material gets quite stiff over the years, and easily cracks.

Overall condition simply shows service wear and overall age toning. There is no major mothing or other issues to note. This is a very nice German Heer EM/NCO Infantry peak visor cap, offered for sale in very good condition. Ready to display!

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.