Original Item: Only One Available. This is great looking mid war M43 Heer Feldmütze (Army Field Cap), size marked 56 on the interior. It is constructed of wool gabardine cloth, with fold-down panels with squared scallops to the front and forward sides, covering the entire neck on the sides and rear when in use. It also has the correct rayon loops on the undersides of the fold down flap. When not in use, the panels are raised with their ends resting upon the visor, being joined together by two magnetic pebbled buttons. The visor is reinforced with cardboard, and covered in matching gabardine cloth, and is in fantastic shape, showing very little bending or rippling, just how we love to see them!

Sewn in place in the front of the cap is a Heer cap insignia trapezoid constructed of BeVo style machine woven grey and green embroidered threading in the shape of a standard eagle over an embroidered cockade. It is original to the cap and is machine-sewn to the outer fabric only, so it was installed during construction. The insignia is very clean, showing little wear. The interior of the cap is lined with olive colored rayon faux silk, which does show staining and wear, so this cap did see moderate service during the war, but was very well cared for. There is a clear size 56 stamp on the top of the interior.

Condition is very good, with all stitching intact, and the exterior fabric in great shape. There is just a bit of light staining and wear, with the fuzzy "nap" still present in most areas. Under the side flaps, the original color and texture can be seen.

Overall, this is a wonderful wartime used M43 Heer field cap in excellent display condition. We almost never have them in such great condition!

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.