ARMY OFFICERS ‘TRUPPENSONDERSIENST’ VISOR CAP
Price: Sold
DESCRIPTION: German Army Truppensonderdienst (Special Troops) Officers Visor cap; ribbed gray-green wool crown with typical dark green wool cap band, both piped in silk dragonblau (a cross between Transport & Medical blue) piping; matched aluminum eagle, cockade & wreath original to cap; fine silver-wire chin-cord; interior of gold ribbed silk with missing eisenglas,mouse-gray over black vulkanfiber visor and brown ersatz leather sweatband; a rare piping and a real one-looker with its bold Dragonblau Silk Piping! -$1250
BACKGROUND:Visor caps were a standard item for all personnel during the Third Reich period and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individual’s rank. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the army’s Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account)system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their caps from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their caps from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored caps although the price may have been restrictive. Originally the insignia worn on the visor caps consisted of the Weimar Reichsheer patterns which included a blackened leather chinstrap for all ranks. In February 1927 new chin cords for Officer ranks were introduced with silver cords for the ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and gilt cords for the ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall. Regulations of February 1936 also permitted senior NCO’s who were Officer Candidates to wear the Officers twisted silver/aluminum chin cord on their visor caps as opposed to the standard EM/NCO’s leather chinstrap. Of Note: Both the first pattern Reichsheer era visor cap eagle and wreath were replaced with the second pattern in March 1935.
