Original German WWII Heer Artillery Hauptmann Officer’s M36 Wool Greatcoat Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely service used German WWII Heer Infantry Officers great coat or overcoat, constructed with an outer shell of heavy feldgrau (field gray) “doe skin” weave wool. These were preferred during the cold months, and have an unmistakable silhouette. The interior of the great coat is fully lined with lovely golden brown rayon, and is in very good service used condition, showing wear, fraying, and tears commensurate with long service. There is slash pocket on the inner left chest, and also a hanger clip for a dagger or sword above a slot that exits under one of the exterior pockets. We checked all the pockets and usual spots, however we were not able to locate any maker information for the coat, which is almost certainly bespoke.

The great coat matches very well with the M36 pattern, with a dark bottle-green (flaschengrün) “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, which are sewn directly to the fabric of the coat. These are all marked EXTRA FEIN, and look to be of steel construction with pebbled nickel silver top caps. 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 “sew-in” style company grade officers schulterklappen (shoulder boards) of this tunic are constructed with two rows of fine silver flatware “Russia Braid” double piping and each has two gold rank “pips” installed, indicating the officer rank of Hauptmann (Captain). They each have Hochrot (Deep Red) piping under the Russia braid, the Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for Artillery, as well as General Level Officers. As these are company grade shoulder insignia, this is definitely for artillery.

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. The shoulder boards have some lovely period wear and staining, and definitely look to be original to the coat. The rayon lining definitely shows the most wear, especially on the inside of the pockets.

This is a lovely service worn example of a genuine German WWII Artillery Officer’s wool greatcoat and would display fantastically.

Approximate Measurements:
Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10.5″
Shoulder to sleeve: 25”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17.5”
Chest width: 27″
Waist width: 25″
Hip width: 36″
Front length: 47″

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.