Italian made German cap eagle

[Mike Bollow]

I just got in this Kriegsmarine tropical cap and it had what I thought was a Hollywood movie prop cap eagle on it... so I took it off. It was so rediculous looking and poorly sewn on I thought there was NO WAY it could be anything done during the war. Then a more knowledgable WAF member informed me it is an Italian made eagle and these are 100% real, but rare. Can you Italian collectors tell me if the cap is more valuable with this eagle on it or is it better to have it restored with a factory KM eagle? Thanks!

[Mike Bollow]

another

[tinmantis]

I saw this 'italian made' one on Bill's site
certainly both 'look italian'....
if yours turns out good, for me, would make that cap much more interesting
regards
jon

[Mike Bollow]

The eagle I have came home from WW2 on the tropical KM cap. I of course had no idea, and luckily if I decide to put it back on there it's no big deal as it was crudely hand sewn to begin with. The cap DID have factory appiled proper German insignia at one time. What happened to it is a mystery.

I am thanking you Italian experts in advance for more opinions on it's value if the Italian eagle is put back on Vs. restoring it to factory specs.

Thanks!

[Gregory Koepp]

Put that eagle back on the cap now!!!

it was used on it and is very rare to find one like it, that cap was used by the italians and the eagle was put on by them for use so this cap with eagle is a very nice find really. Here are afew of my Italian made eagles and caps.

thanks greg koepp

[Gregory Koepp]

nice cap wiith Italian made eagle like yours.

greg koepp

[Gregory Koepp]

close up.

so once you put that back together your going to have a very unique cap for sure, MUCH rarer than a German one for sure!!
I think I have more but have been moving for the last month so all my stuff is spread out..

greg koepp

[Luca Ongaro]

Put that eagle back on the cap now!!!

Oh God, why put it away without ask if you didn't know that eagle.
Is a rare bird and I am with Gregory, put it back on the cap!!!
Was surely an untouched cap, what a pity
Gregory, very nice cap and officer eagle
Luca

[Mike Bollow]

Thanks guys - I'll put it back on. There was no value to the "original stiching" because it looked like it was done by a child in a hurry. I have 60 year old black thread and can replace it exactly as it was.

This may be rare, but I don't like it with that rediculous eagle on it so it will sadly go to the e-stand. I really wanted a KM tropical M41 too...

Mike

[Gregory Koepp]

Mike, you should really keep that cap, you won't find another very often. The Eagle might look funny but it is a very rare bird. Also, even though your going to sewn it back on it still won't effect the cap or price as most you find are very poorly sewn on, look at the one sewn on my cap, it's like a kid did it and it's still a unique cap. So Mike for any collector to have a nice original Italian cap with Eagle in their collection is a unique display and a hard to find one on top of that. Most of the Eagles have been thrown away over the years as they thought they were bad as you have, so I hope you decide to keep it.

greg

[Luca Ongaro]

Indeed the thread on the eagle can help to restore it, I am waiting to see your request on E-stand.
Luca

[90th Light]

Mike, you should really keep that cap, you won't find another very often. The Eagle might look funny but it is a very rare bird. Also, even though your going to sewn it back on it still won't effect the cap or price as most you find are very poorly sewn on, look at the one sewn on my cap, it's like a kid did it and it's still a unique cap. So Mike for any collector to have a nice original Italian cap with Eagle in their collection is a unique display and a hard to find one on top of that. Most of the Eagles have been thrown away over the years as they thought they were bad as you have, so I hope you decide to keep it.

greg

Hello Gregory, I am following what you are saying with interest. I have two of these Italian made German eagles from veteran sources and have often wondered who they were for. To me they look naive and toy like in manufacture.

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that they were worn by Italians fighting in the Wehrmact or were they were worn by Italians fighting along side German forces such as the Italian SS or Italian E boats etc ?

I mean do these eagles represent really hard-core fascist Italian units or just a member of German armed forces ?

Look forward to your reply, Chris

[Mike Bollow]

I'm with Chris on this one... I still don't get it.

My cap is a GERMAN factory made KM cap (1942 in Bremen) and I believe I can see marks where the original BEVO insignia was factory sewn on.

Why would somebody remove the BEVO eagle and cockade, only to replace it with a (in my opinion) crummy, non-regulation Italian one? The cockade has been re-applied in the same sloppy manner as the bird was, but at least it's original German BEVO.

I can understand an ITALIAN cap having a giant Italian made eagle on it after 1943 to show who was fighting for who, but why de-nazify a nazi cap and re-nazify it in such a non-regulation manner?

Confused in Chicago...

Mike

[Luca Ongaro]

Why would somebody remove the BEVO eagle and cockade, only to replace it with a (in my opinion) crummy, non-regulation Italian one?

Could be the owner was Italian and applied this bird during RSI period, was made by german and Italian soldiers, I have seen many period pictures showing Germans with Italian caps or tunics during Afrika campaign and Italians did the same.
Luca

[Gregory Koepp]

LOL,

I see guy's, what you have is a cap that was made by the Germans and owned and worn by an Italian during the War. The owner removed the German Eagle to infuse his Italian heritage, the Italians still tried to keep some of their own Italian pride while serving within or beside the Germans. If the Italians were not a Volunteer of a certain German Unit but a Unit of Italians say on a sub-chaser, Ground pound-er, or a Supply driver they would change out some of the German Tunic's, Caps, Insignia, Etc... to some of their own. Like the Eagle on the cap, the cap was made and was probably issued/given/found by the Italian and he removed the German Eagle and added on what was known and excepted by his fellow Italians so he kept some of his Countries pride. That's why you can find some weird stuff on Caps,Tunic's,etc.. The Italians had allot of pride and made some strange patches during their rise and partnership during the War and with the Germans, now most were not standard made or issued so that's why when you find something hand made they are unique. You can find hundreds of thousands of machine made eagles as-per regulations but when you run across a hand made Eagle like Mike has they are much rarer than the norm. Some collectors don't like the unknown or non-regulation, but they belong right next to the high end items in my eye's.

So I hope I helped some, there's a few good books out that show many things the Italians or other Countries made to infuse with their service with or within the German military that were not Regulation. So it's really up to the collector, if you like the strange and unique then this is one that you won't see often.

I'll go through some of my books when I can, I'm moving now and have stuff all over but will post some other examples if you'd like.

thanks greg koepp