Waffen-SS? Tunic

[Waffenreich]

Has anybody seen this tunic for sale anywhere before? Besides the obvious issue that it is not of standard German production can anybody attribute it to a European army that wore something like this in WW2? There is no lining except in the waist band, it had three belt ramp holes (rendered useless by tailoring the tunic), the shoulder strap piping is the exact color of violet as used by Heer Chaplains (and the strap bridles have been added), and there is no cuff slits. I do like the base cloth and construction of the runic tab, but the whole set-up of this tunic is just weird.

Thoughts/opinions are appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Bob

[Waffenreich]

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[Waffenreich]

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[militarymania]

maybe this piece is a parts project....

[Johnny R]

Medical piping can turn violet like Chaplain piping. The tunic is very odd but if you have it in hand you certainly know what period clothing and the crappy late war uniform textiles look like. I would look at the garment first before the insignia and application etc. Is it the bad quality type of wool in late M44 tunics or something else?

[Waffenreich]

Johnny,

I know what you mean about the piping. In the pic of the end of the board it looks almost like cornflower blue, but the pic showing the bridle and open fold shows the true color. It looks like it wants to be Nebel, but I'm not convinced.

The color of the tunic looks like what you find on some M-44s, but there's no way this tunic could have been a converted M-41 as the color is more on the olive/brown side. The pleated pockets obviously would indicate an earlier tunic that may have been converted, but the color, lack of lining and neck closure buttonhole, and extra material that made the waist band and long tongue with buttonhole make me think foreign??

I agree - probably a parts tunic, but the owner is a guy that appears to not have been a collector and insists this tunic came from a relative who acquired it during/at the end of the war. I'm trying to get it in hand, but negotiations are going slow.

[Johnny R]

I would not bury it yet, they made funky M44s from scratch and whatever they could salvage when they could not get factory made jackets through issue channels. I have seen originals made with the sash type waist belt like UK/commonwealth battledress jackets. I am not saying it is real but it is not an obvious piece of junk and the insignia looks okay. If it is the crappy late War wool like M44s than it may be made from a modified olive brown M43 tunic with pleats added etc. They look crooked to the pocket bags in the image and crude.

It could of course also be a piece of junk. Hard to say with a handful of photos but it is interesting.

[Waffenreich]

Thanks John. I'm not ruling it out yet either. Hopefully I can get my hands on it then I'll post more detailed pics. Here's the eagle.

Best!

Bob