What do you guys think of this Tunic and Visor???

[Johnny R]

The hat would have been worn with the jacket at that rank. If you bought it from a German family etc. probably the same man, if it came from an Allied soldier and no one knows it is impossible to say but they match for a display and if they were brought back I would always keep them together.

[dzyner]

Thanks Johnny,

Unfortunately this set was passed to two different people before me so it is definitely impossible to say. I'm going to assume that it is from the same soldier, just to satisfy my imagination I think there is something to say about the fact the cap is in similar condition.

I'm doing some more research on this particular tunic, but this tunic would have been worn in battle, right? I think this question answers itself just by looking at the overall condition (field repaired elbows holes, small rips here and there, worn fabric edges, dirt, etc.).

[Johnny R]

I do not think you can answer that quesiton and the tunics dates to the 1920s so when the wear occured is also hard to discern. It could have been worn by kids after the War etc. playing in the US. If it is loose fresh dirt it is not from 60 years ago. It looks also like it has paint splatter? Maybe just bad stoage as well.

[CWP]

Combat is not the only way clothing can get worn and soiled. I've never been able to determine the difference between a "field repair" and just a plain old repair.

[Johnny R]

Like the one I posted, I think the best evidence for period wear is the sun fading etc. I think yours was period used and worn often etc. that is a safer bet than dirt. I have pulled stuff out of basements that look like hell but were just exposed to moisture and dust for 50 years.

[dzyner]

I agree regarding the sun fading. Its a bit difficult to see in my photos, but if you look around the cuffs, under the shoulder boards, and beneath the pocket flaps you can see a fair amount of fading. In normal light I can see the belt line and possibly an outline of an ammo pouch. They're very very faint though.

You can also see some very roughly patched holes in both elbows. My imagination goes crazy with those holes; perhaps since he was in an MG unit he spent a great deal of time on the ground with elbows to the dirt propping up the MG. That may explain a lot of the wear to the front of the tunic as well.

[Johnny R]

Anything is possible, I would expect to see this worn off front line duty and for training etc. but it is impossible to say.