FJ M42 feldmutze Trop. H.G. FJ marked

[Ceasarion]

Just a quick question for FJ experts or anyone with knowledge on this topic please? Question is: Has anyone out there ever seen a 1942 dated tropical M40/M42 field cap with a unit marked inside liner FJ, mfg. name, and dated with a H.G. insignia (black backed) cap eagle and roundel before? I am curious as to the rareness of this cap, as I am 100% certain they exist but cannot find examples so far. Any suggestions of locating a picture of one? Thank You,

[Willi Z.]

If you mean Luftwaffe tropical overseas cap with a FJ unit marking and black HG eagle and cockade, then the answer is no on all counts.

[Ceasarion]

The H.G. Cap

No Willi Z, I'm sorry. I'm talking about a billed M40 style tropical D.A.K. looking but F.J. field cap, not the oversea's type cap. This is a private purchase from a friend in Germany who his Grand Father was the original owner and he gave me the stack of his Grandpa's photo's from jump school to Gramp's in full uniform (F.J.) on a visit to Mercedes plant and other places while on leave. The cap is mint, but 100% original. I don't think it was even worn from the uber nice condition it is in. But inside the groumettes are green from age and material stiff from 70 years of perfect storage. Amazing deal from a friend who knows how I value the rare especially F.J. items. The helmet I have is a early one, I think a M37 type and is green and about 97% - 98% on paint too. They look great displayed together though.

[15parabattalion]

No Willi Z, I'm sorry. I'm talking about a billed M40 style tropical D.A.K. looking but F.J. field cap, not the oversea's type cap. This is a private purchase from a friend in Germany who his Grand Father was the original owner and he gave me the stack of his Grandpa's photo's from jump school to Gramp's in full uniform (F.J.) on a visit to Mercedes plant and other places while on leave. The cap is mint, but 100% original. I don't think it was even worn from the uber nice condition it is in. But inside the groumettes are green from age and material stiff from 70 years of perfect storage. Amazing deal from a friend who knows how I value the rare especially F.J. items. The helmet I have is a early one, I think a M37 type and is green and about 97% - 98% on paint too. They look great displayed together though.

Pictures would be a good help, of both cap and helmet and we will tell you if it's a M37 etc! Cheers Mike

[Ceasarion]

Hey thank You Mike, I'll try and post some pic's of the cap and the helmet both. My wife just got her good camera back from the shop yesterday, so I'll try and get some pic's up soon. I need to post some pic's of some of the more "RARER" items I've collected over the years. I'm really into the F.J. and DAK items more. Although I have a wide variety of items (like most collectors who hate to pass up a good deal on something that doesn't match most of my other items) so mixed in with my headgear collection are a few SA SS daggers, battleshields(Kirsk, balkins ect.) IC's, medals, flags....But the bulk of my stuff is helmets and caps. Mainly DAK M40's and F.J. alike. I have about every variety of DAK caps made and now I'm looking at MFG's and collecting now. So anyway Mike I'll get the camera out and shoot some of my F.J. stuff for everyone, especially this really cool M40 tropical F.J. cap. Plus the stack of unseen F.J. photo's I'll see if the wife can scan for me to post. F.J. collectors will love these. Like I was saying the pic's catalog the series of the history of a F.J. soldier. From jump school photo's begining to end. Then on leave and trips to the Mercedes plant and around germany. A Party rally and tins he had from that and some cool pic's of the EARLY days where the NSDAP bringing big containers of "Free soup" via the party on a horse drawn carriages to their town. My friend in Germany threw in the 2 small flags that they had in the F.J. barracks and a H.G. cuff title too. So it's a real chronological history of his Grandfathers life as a F.J. soldier in Nazi Germany from 1936-1943. I am just grateful he was willing to share this with me because of my interest in F.J. troops. He still has a lot of other things he is keeping, but the M40( mfg. is Franz Ritter Verm.Carl Roth Dettingen 1942 size mark "57" and then printed along the inside seam the other direction is 4/ fallschirm.... and then lightly printed and looks like says dg. rgt.2 or 3) it is tropical tan and just mint shape. Material is stiff and grometts are green from age with a H.G. cap eagle (black backed with Nat. Colors roundel 2 piece type insignia) and appears almost un-used condition. My friend says that his father told him that this cap was issued to his grandfather but he thinks it was in a transitional time of uniforms and was just never worn or something? But his grandfathers paperwork my buddy has shows he was a member of the H.G. fallschirmjager division, and falls right in line with this cap and it's construction. No satouche at that time in 1942 when cap was made. I've seen a lot of Fallschirmjager cammo type field caps before (even bearing H.G. eagles) but as a DAK cap and F.J. collector acquiring this cap is the best of both worlds for me. I'm just curious if anyone else has one to compare with is all. Thanks Mike talk to you soon with pic's.

[John Hodgin]

Just a quick question for FJ experts or anyone with knowledge on this topic please? Question is: Has anyone out there ever seen a 1942 dated tropical M40/M42 field cap with a unit marked inside liner FJ, mfg. name, and dated with a H.G. insignia (black backed) cap eagle and roundel before? I am curious as to the rareness of this cap, as I am 100% certain they exist but cannot find examples so far. Any suggestions of locating a picture of one? Thank You,

Interesting story, but I for one am very doubtful. A unit marked tropical field cap from 1942 would be an extreme exception. To be clear, you are describing a Heer M40 with added Luftwaffe insignia? If this is indeed a "private purchase cap," these are a real minefield with many fakes out there. Very interested in seeing your photos, thanks,
John

[John Hodgin]

Ceasarion, does your cap look like this example? Still would like to see photos of it.
John