Original German WWII Army Heer EM/NCO Pioneer Combat Engineer Schirmmütze Visor Crush Cap Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent condition German WWII EM/NCO Infantry Schirmmütze Visor Cap. The cap shows high quality fabrication, and is in really exceptional condition, showing very little sign of use in service. All of the minor condition issues seem to be the result of short service combined with great age. It features the typical feldgrau (field gray) “doeskin” wool construction with a forest green “badge cloth” band and a traditional high forward crown. It was produced without a crown stiffener ring, giving it a lovely “saddle form” crushed shape. It also has matching Schwarz (Black) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band. This is the Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for the Pioniere (Combat engineers), as well as Assault, Armored, Fortress, and Railway engineers.

It is decorated with a well detailed silvered cast aluminum eagle insignia on the peak and and an open silver cast aluminum wreath surrounding an aluminum tri-color cockade on the band. The cockade still retains the bright red felt center inlay. The cap has the correct black patent leather EM/NCO chin strap with double buckles, which shows some crazing/checking in the finish. The visor / peak on this cap is the typical black-finished “vulcanfibre” pressed composite material, which is beige on the underside, and also shows the usual crazing and checking due to age, with some flaking on the edge.

The cap is lined lined with lovely cream colored rayon faux silk, which shows just a bit of staining in scattered areas. The celluloid diamond sweat shield is still prse,t with intact stitching, though it does have a crack / tear starting from the name tag slot. It is marked with a large eagle trademark with Extra Klasse on the breast, and MARKE STANDARD at the bottom. We have seen these markings before, but unfortunately do not know which maker they are associated with. The sweatband is made from tan finished pressed paper faux leather, and shows some light wear and splitting around the forehead perforations. It has become very stiff over the years. Size of the cap is approximately a 56cm / US 7.

This is a very nice, high quality German Heer EM/NCO Pioneer peak visor cap, offered for sale in very good condition with a lovely lightly used look. 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, issued 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.