Original German WWII German Panzergrenadier Major Officer’s Wool Greatcoat by Michael Hollfelder of Ansbach Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice German WWII Panzergrenadier Officers great coat or overcoat, constructed with an outer shell of heavy feldgrau (field gray) wool. The rear of the collar bears a maker label for Michael Hollfelder of Ansbach, located in Bavaria outside of Nürnberg. There is also a tailor tag on the inside of the left pocket for the same maker, and it looks to have a name on it, which we are not able to read. There is also a date, which looks to be “1942”, but the third number is not clear. The interior of the jacket looks to be rayon, or a rayon blend, and is in very good condition.

The great coat matches very well with the M36 pattern, with a dark green “badge cloth” lay down collar and long cuffs at the end of the sleeves. The front features the correct 12 button front closure, featuring 6 buttons on each side. These are all marked EXTRA FEIN, and some bear the “Barred A” trademark logo of F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid, a German city known for its clothing accessories industry. This maker is particularly well known, and had other factories as well.

The “sew-in” style Stabsoffizier schulterklappen (Field-grade Officer shoulder boards) of this tunic are constructed with two rows of fine silver flatware “Russia Braid” double piping, which are plaited together to form a loop around the buttonhole. They are in very good condition, and do not have any rank “pips” installed, indicating the lowest staff officer rank of Major, equivalent to the same rank in the U.S. and U.K. armies.

The shoulder boards have the correct Wiesengrün (Meadow Green) colored backing, the Waffenfarbe (corps color) for the Heer Panzergrenadiertruppen (Panzer Grenadier Troops). These were motorized / mechanized infantry troops, and were legendary in the field. Originally called Schützen regiments, they had used the same Pink piping as the Panzer corps. Then in 1942 Infantry Regiments were renamed as Grenadier Regiments by AH as a historical homage to Frederick the Great’s Army, and the Schützen were renamed to Panzergrenadiers.

Condition is very good considering the age, with the colors retained very well, and no major damage, just the usual light staining and wear from service. There are also some areas of light mothing, which are limited to the fuzzy “nap” of the fabric.

This is a great example of a genuine WWII wool greatcoat and would display fantastically.

Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10”
Shoulder to sleeve: 26”
Shoulder to shoulder: 16”
Chest width: 18.5”
Waist width: 22”
Hip width: 26”
Front length: 51.5″

Following the invasion of the Soviet Union the Greatcoat was found to be insufficient for the Russian winter and they were replaced by more effective clothing.

Overcoats in various forms have been used by militaries since at least the late 18th century, and were especially associated with winter campaigns, such as Napoleon’s Russian campaign. The full-length overcoat was once again popularized by the use during World War I of the trench coat.

Stereotypically, overcoats used by the army tended to be single-breasted, while navies often used double-breasted overcoats. Overcoats continued to be used as battle dress until the mid-1940s and 1950s, when they were deemed impractical. However, in colder countries, such as the former Soviet Union, they continue to be issued and used. When more efficient clothing and synthetic fibers became readily available, the overcoat began to be phased out even there.