Original German WWII Luftwaffe Flight Branch EM/NCO Schirmmütze Visor Cap Original Items

Original Item: Only One available. This is a very nice service used condition Luftwaffe Flight Branch EM/NCO Schirmmütze (Visor Cap). It still has the original crown stiffener installed, so it retains it’s original round appearance, without the “sag” usually seen. This NCO Schirmmütze Visor Cap is an original high quality manufactured cap. It is fabricated in Luftwaffe blue gray Fliegerblau (Flier’s Blue) “whipcord” woven wool, with wide black wool cap band, plus three rows of goldgelb (Gold-Yellow) color piping for the flight branch (Waffenfarbe) around the circumference. This included Aviator troops such as pilots and ground personnel as well as Fallschirmjäger (parachute troops).

Cap is decorated with the correct insignia, including a finely-detailed early “droop tail” silver plated eagle on the peak, and an oak leaf wreath with stylized wings and central tri-color cockade on the band; the latter is made of aluminum with a red and black painted cockade. The black-finished patent leather chin strap rests upon the visor and is made up of three pieces: the central piece with two magnetic metal buckles and joined to the flanking end pieces via rectangular loops, the end pieces attached to black finished buttons on either side. It is still in very good condition, with the expected aging of the patent leather finish.

The visor is the classic gloss black color with stitched edge trim, made of pressed vulcanfibre, with a green underside. There is some great checking and age crazing on the top of the visor, confirming the age of the piece. The edge trim is a bit worn, with a bit missing on the bottom of the visor. The stitching attaching the visor to the cap body is also a bit deteriorated, so the last inch or so on the left side is no longer stitched in place.

The brown leather sweatband is in very good condition, still supple, and is perforated along the front to provide better ventilation for the forehead. The ends of the sweatband pinned together on the left side. There is definitely wear to the sweatband, which is now discolored, and there is a small tear on the left side, where the visor stitching has deteriorated. The interior is lined with light brown light oilcloth. The top celluloid sweatshield is fully intact with great stitching, however the makers name and information has totally flaked off. The remains of the original silver paint can be seen under the shield.

This is a very nice Luftwaffe Flight Branch EM/NCO peaked visor cap, offered in very good used condition. Ready to display!

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.