Original German WWII Heer Army Stabsgefreiter EM/NCO M36 Wool Greatcoat – dated 1939 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely condition German WWII Heer Army Senior Enlisted Man’s M36 greatcoat or overcoat, complete with a sleeve insignia indicating the rank of Stabsgefreiter. EM/NCO greatcoats were usually issued by the depots, and are much harder to come by than the privately purchased examples that officers would get during their service.

The coat is in very good service used condition, and is constructed with an outer shell of heavy feldgrau (field gray) wool, the standard uniform material of the time. It shows moderate wear on the exterior, with some small holes and tears from service or possibly minor mothing. There are also a few small period repairs on the back, and fraying at the very bottom, which is somewhat common. There are also some holes and tears at the ends of the sleeves, which are one of the areas that receive the lion’s share of the wear.

The greatcoat matches very well with the M36 pattern, with a lay down collar and long cuffs at the end of the sleeves. The front features the correct 12 button front closure, featuring 6 pebbled buttons on each side, and a hook and loop fastener at the neck. Most of these are maker marked on the back, and are sewn directly to the fabric of the greatcoat. There are diagonal slash pockets on either side at the waist, which have top flaps that can be worn both in and out of the pockets. The rear bottom of the coat has the usual button closure, which would be used depending on the situation.

The interior of the greatcoat is lined with olive colored light cotton canvas on the upper half, with olive green brushed cotton twill linings in the sleeves. There is a pocket on the inner left chest, and there are also the outside pocket linings to the interior. The back of the coat has four horizontal slots which we assume are to attach to a belt or gear of some sort. The interior does show some light wear and staining in areas, possibly from abrasion on the uniform worn underneath.

The inner left chest lining displays faded size and issue markings, which were able to make out after some examination with a magnifier. They read:

40        51
92
111        65
M39

The bottom line indicates that it was processed through the Heer Army clothing depot in München (Munich) during 1939.

The shoulders have straps and buttons for attachment of rank insignia, however there are none currently installed. However the left sleeve has a double chevron insignia with a single rank “pip” at the top, indicating the most senior EM rank of Stabsgefreiter. This is roughly equivalent to a U.S. Army “Administrative Corporal”, and soldiers of this rank were commonly trusted with positions in food provision supply and quartermaster duties. In the last years of World War II Stabsgefreiters were often used as group leaders Gruppenführer due to a lack of Unteroffiziere (NCOs).

This is a lovely example of a genuine German WWII EM/NCO wool greatcoat, which would display fantastically.

Approximate Measurements:
Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10″
Shoulder to sleeve: 22.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 16”
Chest width: 19″
Waist width: 21″
Hip width: 27″
Front length: 46″

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.