Advice Required M44 Field Blouse.

[RobertCOUTTS]

Hi,
chaps I need some advice/information on a M44 Field Blouse, the last type made similar to the British Battledress. One of the few Militaria Dealers here in Australia has one going to 'Auction' in a few days. They have estimated the price at $1500, with these auctions the item sells for at least 80% of their estimated value, if you bid less and win your bid is adjusted to 80% of the price they put on it. This tunic will sell then for at least $1200AU or more.I have examined in hand and no obvious red flags. What worries me is the wool used this is from actual description "A scarce example in the late war coarse earth brown 'Russia Yarn' Six button front, single unpleated pocket to the left hand side...." They claim to cut back on materials only one pocket was put on these coats at times, an " economy measure" Tunic has partial rayon lining, piping on collar tabs, shoulder boards for panzer grenadiers, - apple green. No stamps remain inside the tunic, washed out. Was there a wool used by the Germans late war made fom combining captured Russian wool with german resulting in a brown colored wool. The eagle is not the late war type one would expect rather a mid war type this could be reapplied so I am not overly concerned. Only the wool and missing pocket worry me. Based on the information given should I take a risk. Ive seen a couple of these M44 tunics in Sydney recently fake ones but the quality was such they were obvious to the serious collector.
cheers Robert

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Robert, yes, there was reworked wool which was combinded with pulped Russian cloth which gave a brown shade.

Cheers, Ade.

[stroh]

Robert,
I seriously doubt that this tunic left the factory with one pocket. I have seen, and handled, the so-called 'M45' tunic that had no pocket flaps but two pockets none the less.

Allowing a tunic to leave the factory with one breast pocket is totally out of charcter with the Germans. In spite of being squeezed economically they were still producing decent quality uniforms and equipment in late 1944-early 1945.

Regards,
Ed

[Johnny R]

I have never seen or heard of a one pocket M44, here are two "M45" M44 jacket which are very late production. The crappy wool is the result of recycling anything they could find, the color is not "Russian yarn" it is close to the Feldgrau 44 which has more of an Olive/brown color like this one. The wool is such poor quality it could be pulled apart very easily. This jacket actually has wood fragments visible in the weave. Note non-pebbled buttons, no pocket buttons, no shoulder straps. This is probably made in March or April of 1945.

[Johnny R]

Here is another one that has only one waist button and uses black glass buttons like Camo jackets etc. This color is more of a 1940-42 field gray and probably also the result of recycling earlier materials. I would not buy in the one pocket story especially with the "Russian" yarn/tale added on top. Are there photos of it anywhere?

[Johnny R]

Here is a very brown M44, as Ade noted they used everything they could find towards the end including Russian as well as Belgian, British, French, and other stocks of "captured" wool. This one also is a poor quality wool, I only collect German but have been told it may actually be a prewar French uniform wool. This shows the eagle and tabs the M44s typically have although in the first image you can see the use of the Universal green tabs.

[RobertCOUTTS]

M44 Blouse

I was in the City (Sydney) today and dropped in to Wrights again to have another look. The tunic has the correct pocket, same style as the ones shown here but is no evidence there was ever 2 pockets. Strange how condition isnt too bad yet the stamps have 'washed' out, could this be poor quality ink even my M 40 tunic still has some numbers visible and its been through the wringer. I should have taken my camera with me its off to auction in Melbourne in a weeks time. Wrights is one of our main militaria dealers here. The Sydney Branch has a good militaria salesman, of course there are some fakes but hey what dealer doesnt have some. The breast eagle is sewn through the lining and is the type used on M42 tunics not the one you would expect on a M44 blouse. Its impossible to believe they would issue a tunic with only 1 pocket, the M44 tunics only had 2 pockets to start with, yes?
cheers Robert

[Glenn McInnes]

Its impossible to believe they would issue a tunic with only 1 pocket, the M44 tunics only had 2 pockets to start with, yes?
cheers Robert

I believe I have seen original M44's with no interior pockets at all,seam at the back etc.




Glenn

[Johnny R]

The one in post #4 I do not believe has internal pockets and has a back seam, when you said the tunic only had one pocket I thought you were speaking of the external pockets? To see a M44 with one or no internal pockets and also without stamps (the one in post 5 is unissued and is not marked) would not be a problem. That said, given your description of the jacket and the insignia, especially if there is a single breast pocket, I personally would hold out for something more standard. What is M42 insignia, the field gray bevo bird? Good luck.