Original German WWII HJ M43 Feldmütze Field Cap in size 56 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great looking German WWII HJ (jugend) M43 Feldmütze (Field Cap), marked with Size 56 under the crown diamond. It is constructed of brown worsted wool gabardine cloth, with fold-down panels with rounded scallops to the front and forward sides. There is no securing button on the front, so like many M43 caps. the fold down flaps on this example are somewhat ornamental and rarely used, a they are not fully size like those on military issue M43s. The visor is reinforced with cardboard, and covered in matching gabardine cloth.

In the front of the cap is an painted metal rhomboid diamond shaped HJ emblem, which consists of a black mobile swas inside a white square diamond which is surrounded by alternating white and red quadrants. The emblem is in great shape, with just light oxidation, and is held on by a “safety pin” style attachment.

The interior of the cap is lined with very soft beige rayon, and has a pressed paper faux leather sweatband. The crown of the cap has a celluloid plastic diamond sweat protector, and under this is the size 56 over a very ornate coat of arms maker’s logo. We have unfortunately not been able to identify the maker.

The cap is in excellent condition, and does not appear to have been worn much, if at all. The sweatband only shows age related degradation, and no service wear, and there is no wear on the brown exterior, only slight fading due to sun and age. The visor has a lovely curve to it, and does not have any major creases, bends, or breaks.

Overall, this is a great looking HJ M43 field cap!

HJ believed German youth to be the future of his 3rd Reich. The HJ (jugend or HJ) was formed officially in 1935, and with the exception of NSDAP ideology indoctrination was very similar to the Boy Scouts. Beginning at about the age of ten years, both boys (jugend) and girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel) were enlisted in the Party-run organization. 

The M43 Feldmütze (Field Cap) is a variety of “Ski Cap” and was based on the Bergmütze (Mountain Hat) used by Austrian and German Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Troops) during WWI. Germany had adopted it in 1915, and after the war it spread throughout the military.

The skirt that surrounds the cap is made in the same wool as the cap, and can be folded down over the ears, though this was rarely done outside of the Mountain troops, which had a double-thickness skirt. The skirt has a small dip in the front quarter with a divide secured by one aluminum button which is covered by an embroidered cockade. The small section in the front quarter was built shorter to show the insignia, and cover the wearer’s chin or mouth, without disturbing breathing by covering the nose. There were also later M43 caps, such as those used by the DAK, that omitted the skirt entirely, as it had little use in the desert heat.