Original German WWII Heer Cavalry Officer Visor Cap – Dated 1938 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Visor caps were a standard item for all military personnel during the Third Reich period and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individuals rank.

This Cavalry visor cap is the correct grey/green wool construction visor cap with a very subtle whipcord weave features a black, horizontally ribbed, interwoven, mohair centerband, and bright mustard yellow piping to the crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the center band.

The front center of the cap has a wonder bullion embroidered eagle in bright silver/aluminum wire threads with bright silver/aluminum accent threads on a cut-out, green wool base. The eagle is neatly hand-stitched to the cap. The front center of the center-band has a hand embroidered, winged, oak-leaf wreath in silver/aluminum wire threads, encompassing a metal cockade with red felt center. The winged wreath and cockade are mounted on a cut-out green wool base which is also hand-stitched in place.

The cap has an interwoven, twisted, silver/aluminum, braid, chin cord which is secured to the cap by two, small, silver washed, pebbled, alloy buttons. The cap has a forward, extended, black gloss visor. The interior of the cap is fully lined in brown colored rayon. Original celluloid shield is complete and underneath is an ink size stamp that reads 56 1/2. The underside of the sweat band bears multiple ink stamps for manufacturer which read FERDINAND GARNIER and is dated 1938. Overall a very eye pleasing cap in both exterior condition and classic shape!

The 1st Cavalry Division was formed in October 1939. It fought in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and on the Eastern Front. It was officially transformed into the 24th Panzer Division in late 1941.

The campaign in Western Europe began in the Netherlands before it was assigned to the 4th Army and sent to France. The division crossed the Somme on 7 June and fought near Meulen. On 18–19 June it fought around Saumur and attempted to capture a bridge across the Loire but the attack failed when it was blown up by English troop with a patrol still on it. The division reached La Rochelle when the fighting in France ended.

After the French capitulation the division was stationed in France on occupation duties until the early summer of 1941 when it was moved east in preparation for the attack on the Soviet Union. It was assigned to the XXIV Army Corps in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. The division fought in the southern sector of the front, seeing action around the Berezina and Dniepr rivers, especially in efforts to clear the Pripet Marshes of by-passed Red Army units.

It was withdrawn to France in November 1941 and its 17,000 horses were handed over to infantry divisions. The “Schlußappell”, the last divisional parade, was held on 5 November at Gomel before it was finally disbanded and reformed as the 24.Panzer-Division.