The German Chaplain

[Chris Liontass]

The next thing we have to talk about with hat crosses will be the pot metal type. I have encountered these on several hats. Rather than being white metal, they are more of a dull grey in color. I have studied the two types side by side, and I cant find much if any of a difference between then except materials and color.
--my own thought is the pot metal looking ones are added post war. Dont ask my why, I just have a funny feeling that they are. Most likely someone made a dye in the 60's or so, copied a real cross body, then recast it in a more base metal without the silver wash. I have seen this type in books, and in early 70's/80s auctions. The item could be good...I just dont know. At that point, evaluate the hat, the dementions, and the other insignia with a skeptical mind. If the hat screams....Oh yeah 100%, then you are probably good on insignia.. It is just a tough one for me.

Photos

[Chris Liontass]

Now the tough one. The bullion cross......

---it didnt exist. DID NOT. Sorry guys, I have seen no real evidence to support a bullion cross in existance. I have seen two photos, TWO (I just found another one lol) of bullion crosses. However, neither match the ones that are being made today. If you see a visor with bullion insignia, it has been replaced. If you disagree, then that is ok. Just know there is no photographic studies that show this is right.

Many MANY of the caps we love were messed with in the early 80's. Dealers knew bullion was more popular than metal, so now you have a huge number of bullion caps out there. There are most likly more bullion insignia III Reich caps now than were available during the war. Bullion was neat, so why not add a bullion cross to the visor. At this point, people began to experiment with what type of cross to add to the hat. Why?? Mostly because there was NO photos of bullion crosses being worn. Some fakers copied navy collar tabs -- some made up their own design. All of them are wrong.

Bullion in the III Reich is amazing. Look at a good pair of SS COL insignia and above. When you see the real thing, WOW!! Compare that to 80/90's fakes, and you can see the difference immedately. If you want to learn III Reich bullion, study SS collar tabs. They are amazing in quality. The same should be said for crosses on visor caps (and Navy uniforms, we'll see that later). Well....it isnt. The cross X stitch on bullion crosses stink. They are loose and crappy. The weave on a bullion cross should be TIGHT---very TIGHT. There should be no lose threads. And the cross should STICK to the hat.

A crusher can have a bullion cross....no problem there. But it has to be the right kind of cross. The bullion cross was made to be placed on the cruser cap---but the quality is not of a nice high vaulted Erel dress visor.

[Chris Liontass]

The visor I posted belonged to Father B. Schmidt, regimental chaplain 299th ID. Photos of it in wear

Robert Noss had a fantastic Chaplain photo album to a Evangelistic chaplain who spent the war in Norway. His crusher had another bullion cross and it was HUGE. The crusher looked more like a beret than a visor. However the cross was beautiful. Very sharp, and tight. No loose seams.

[Chris Liontass]

Crushers in wear with bullion

[Chris Liontass]

crusher NO cross (it did exist)

[Chris Liontass]

Crushers

First is Alois Beck, right before Stalingrad. Note the Enlisted uniform, and crusher with NO cross. Entirely possible. Look at the wear on the combat used hat.

[Chris Liontass]

Crushers

Second photo was taken in Russia

[Chris Liontass]

Now the odd ducks....

1. Bullion cross in the Greek pattern. I have no idea where he got this, nor have I ever seen its like. I am betting this photo is just as the III Reich was beging to form in the army. An Imperial type bullion cross, on a III Reich hat. Before the regulation cross appears. If so, this cap is unique.

2. Slender cross, much like the one I posted a few back Odd to say the least, and I have no idea where he got it. Persnonal?? Off a rosery??


These should again be taken as massive exceptions to the rule, rather than just an exception. These hats are unique in the cross appearance

[Chris Liontass]

Another shot of Father Schmidt while I try to find one other "odd duck " photo . I can always find it except when I want it

[Chris Liontass]

Well I cant find it. I will post it later.

Next thing really quick, and might as well get it over with, is a piping discussion. The German chaplain used VIOLET. NOT PURPLE. I cant tell you how many times I have felt like screaming that from my rooftop. So many collectors have been nailed by the piping color.

Purple did not exist. Nope, nadda. Medical visors were cornflower blue. Now for some reason, they became more purple in the later years of the III Reich. But when you look at a piping color, ask yourself one question, "red or blue" Why?? Chaplain's hats will be much closer to the Bordeaux Red of Smoke troops than to any type of purple. If you look at a piping and think there is more blue than red in the mix, it is medical. Dont overthink it, dont waste $5000 on a 1000 hat.

Blue is blue, purple is purlpe, red is red. The chaplain visor is VIOLET colored.

Now one warning. Some photography will show off the piping as a more purple hue. I have one I will show that was 100% and named, and it looked purple with my flash. Was extreemly irritating. Get an outside shot of any hat you want to buy. The red will always come through with the sun.

an example, several hats pick the medical one I got Boned on. (was still and awesome hat)

[Chris Liontass]

Blue or red examples

[Chris Liontass]

color variation

[Chris Liontass]

variation again--blue or red.. Which is medical ???

[Chris Liontass]

with terrible indoor lighting--you can still see the difference

[Chris Liontass]

again