luft m43

[martin hall]

Got this of E-stand , ok is no ss 43, but a nice , example of a late m43 luft, and at a fair collector price , hope it looks ok best to all martin.

[martin hall]

last 2 thhanks for looking .

[Lenny W]

Yes you did well

[Daniel.S]

You also did well with the size of the cap

[Andy C.]

Very nice cap

[John Hodgin]

Well done Martin! Have an example like yours and it is a favorite. Congrats!

And Happy Birthday USA!

[PaulW]

Fantastic cap Martin, love the trapezoid caps!

As you noted in your PM, I have two Luftwaffe caps with a trapezoid from the same maker, so will link them here for interest. One is exactly the same (except size 56) with RF nummer "0/0454/0041" which WAF member "FMS-Paul" has previously identified as being made in Minden (Westphalia), a town that is quite close to Bielefeld, the home of a large Luftwaffe depot. It would make sense that the Depot would make use of local manufacturers!

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=796981

I think that yours is a more attractive example, as the cockade can be clearly seen, the larger size of the cap helps a little of course.

Here is the other one by the same maker, but a lightweight cap, also made in 1944:-

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=737007

The 1944 made lightweight caps with the late-war trapezoid were (I would guess?) probably made early in 1944, in preparation for the summer?

The caps with the heavier wool I suspect might have been made later in 1944. I say this (please correct me if I'm wrong) as I don't think you see many Luftwaffe caps with trapezoids being worn in wartime pictures, although there is at least one picture on this thread:-

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=798188

(The above thread also has a link to this excellent thread with many late-war pictures:-

http://smolbattle.ru/threads/%D0%9A%...2%D0%BE.27150/ )

For that reason I have suspected that these caps were made very late in 1944, perhaps reaching Depots and being issued in 1945 and I think it's the case that 1945 'front line' pictures didn't survive the chaos as well as pictures from earlier years that had already been safely deposited in archives/ soldier's photo albums etc?

Also, note the variation in the trapezoid insignia between the lightweight cap and the two 'regular' M43 caps, if these were indeed made several months apart this might make sense, different trapezoid manufacturer/ batch.

Regards, Paul

[billbert]

It is a SMASHING cap...field worn...in timetunnel condition..like it was lifted off the owner in 1945 and has not aged 1 bit since...Billbert

[GAMS1]

Nice cap made of Air Force italian wool + lining .
Nick

[martin hall]

Thanks to all on the input, and kind comments .my first collecting purchase was a luft m43 so this cap took me back a few years, like us all a few lows and highs along the way but this cap gave me the same buzz, i had all those years ago . i guess the bug is still alive. happy collecting to one and all best martin.

[John Hodgin]

Nice cap made of Air Force italian wool + lining .
Nick

Yes indeed.

[Adam S.]

Beauty!

I can see it on the head of a dirty 8,8 Kanonier.