Original German WWII Heer Infantry Officer Tailormade Waffenrock Tunic Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a tailor made WW2 German Infantry officer tunic. Officers had to supply their own uniforms, and they were usually obtained from private tailors, as is the case here. This fine tunic is untouched, and in good overall condition.

Approximate measurements are:
Collar to shoulder: 9”
Shoulder to sleeve: 25”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17”
Chest width: 20”
Waist width: 18”
Hip width: 22”
Front length: 28.5″

The tunic itself is made of a heavy weight field gray wool, that would have been appropriate for both field and service use. The front closes with fiver silvered pebbled buttons, typical for wartime manufacture. The Army breast eagle is hand embroidered in aluminum bullion, and is hand stitched to the chest in a fashion typical of wartime German tailor work. The collar tabs have dark green bases piped for Infantry and are machine applied; there is no sign of previous tabs ever having been applied.

The Infantry officer shoulder boards each have a two gold number 41 pins, and are for the rank of Lieutenant. They are neatly and tightly applied. The exterior of this officer tunic is clean, retaining virtually all of the original wool nap, but does show some minor fading or stains to the front right chest area.

The inside of this officer tunic is fully lined with artificial silk, as is typical, and exhibits lots of neatly done hand sewing. There is a machine embroidered tailor tag in the lining indicating manufacture by the firm of NELLE & GIRMANN of HANNOVER. This tunic makes for a fantastic display.

The Heer, the army of the German military during the Third Reich, was established in 1935. Over the next 10 years, German Army troops wore a huge variety of uniforms. Enlisted men generally wore uniforms issued from military depots. Most enlisted soldiers wore wool trousers and a tunic with four external pockets, known as a Feldbluse (field blouse). Before the war, soldiers also were issued a walking-out tunic, with flashy insignia, called the Waffenrock. Officers wore the same general uniform styles, but as officers had to supply their own uniforms, they usually wore tailor made versions. There were also myriad varieties of specialized uniforms worn by certain units or in specific situations, from the stylish black wool “wraps” worn by crews of armored fighting vehicles, to the drab HBT work uniforms. There were tropical and summer uniforms, and camouflage smocks for combat troops. For troops operating in winter climates, there were long wool overcoats, fur clothing articles, and padded jacket and trousers sets. In 1944, a new uniform was introduced, featuring a short jacket with only two external pockets. Most but not all German Army uniform jackets bore the Heer emblem of an eagle holding a swas.