A friend just picked this cap up and I wanted to share it with you. It'll go on the e-stand later tonight, but for now, here is a cap that I've never seen before. Lightweight, appears to be Italian cloth, gebirgs cap. It appears to be factory made as there is sewing reflecting that it at one time had a sweatshield. Insignia are also factory applied and not sewn through the liner. It has sweat staining around the leather sweatband and a blood stain on the wearer's right side.
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Hi Jack!
I'll defend those insignia until my dying day as original, but the rest of
the cap, well, we'll have to defer to the SS Gods for that!
But it looks OK to me...Comment
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Brian, the story behind how the owner came by the cap was somewhat interesting. He owns a gunshop in Memphis that deals in some militaria. A woman brought in two flags that her husband had brought back after the war was over. He didn't even bother unfolding them, but bought them as is. Later, he opened the first which turned out to be an SS banner. The second he threw on a shelf in the back of the shop. Later he decided to sell it and finally he unfolded it. As he unfolded it, the cap fell out. The cap is pretty well crushed flat from being in the flag for so long. On the interior shot that is shown, the cap is lying almost absolutely flat.Comment
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Hi Jack,
My guess would be a private purchase by a member of the 24th Waffen-Gebirgs Division der SS (Karstjaeger). This was a fairly obscure anti-partisan formation, engaged in operations in Northern Italy and Jugoslavia) that never achieved real divisional status. My opinion (for what it is worth) is that the cap is of less value than a genuine issue piece (tropical or general issue) - although there may be a specialist collector out there who would want it!
All the best,
MikeComment
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