{"id":15875,"date":"2024-09-14T16:40:22","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T23:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiquesarmsandarmor.com\/?p=15875"},"modified":"2026-01-21T09:49:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T17:49:40","slug":"waffen-ss-totenkopf-tunic-for-nco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiquesarmsandarmor.com\/index.php\/militaria\/uniforms\/german-military-uniforms\/waffen-ss-totenkopf-tunic-for-nco\/","title":{"rendered":"Waffen-SS Totenkopf Tunic for NCO"},"content":{"rendered":"

Description: <\/b>Mid war, rough wool green 4 pocket M43 tunic that is depot marked ‘SS-BW’; original collar tabs, sleeve eagle and NCO slip-on shoulder boards piped in brown rayon, the waffenfarbe for Reconnaissance<\/em>. Partial lining of correct gray rayon having both Size & SS Depot stampings. Correct stitched-hole belt supports (2 front & 2 back). Mouse-gray tress around collar showing promotion from EM to NCO by its application over<\/em> the existing collar tabs. Tress matches that of shoulder boards as well. A real beauty with all its original metal and pressed-paper buttons. A fine example of an original, untouched Totenkopf M43 tunic; Pictures say it all.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BACKGROUND:<\/b> SS uniforms evolved from the early “traditional” brown shirt uniform, to the black and earth gray service uniforms in 1932 and first field-gray uniforms in 1935. In May 1936 a modified field-gray uniform was officially introduced and was worn through-out the war with minor alterations that basically followed the same modifications of the army style uniforms. The M43 field blouse was basically a continuation of the modifications of the M33 field blouse which had evolved into the M36, the M40 and the M42 field blouses. Modifications to the M42 field blouse included the elimination of the separate internal belt support hook suspenders with them being replaced by short integral straps in April 1943, and the replacement of the scalloped button flaps on the front pockets to straight flaps to simplify production in mid-1943. These alterations resulted in the M43 field blouse, which was to be the final variant of the original M33 field blouse. The shape of WSS M43 tunic upper chest pockets are unique and vary from the standard Wehrmacht type. <\/span><\/p>\n