My W-SS standarten Oberjunker impression

[NickG]

Here's my latest project.
A W-SS Standartenoberjunker (Führeranwärter - FA)
All components are genuine as far as I can tell. An Estonian volunteer Officer Candidate.
The only thing it lacks (still) is piping along the collar tabs which I need to fix...

[NickG]

The officer candidate piping on the collar tabs is (still) lacking...

Note wear areas in the wool along the waist (belt) line!

[NickG]

Some period images! Includes a Handschar officer Candidate! (Credit goes to KB Archive!)
The first image is a lower ranking NCO, possibly also a Fuhrer Anwarter (FA), but lacks collar tab piping!

[NickG]

W-SS Standarten Oberjunker

[NickG]

Back to the uniform. It was "hands on" inspected during a local WAF get-to-gether last Saturday by members from the Los Angeles
and the general consensus is that its an original circa 1943 tunic in field grade materials. It has the proper chest darts but its a tailored piece.

It was privateiy tailor made and has interesting anomalies!
Note pleated chest and unpleated skirt pockets.
Its a 5 button, more prevelent with Waffen SS and in a rougher field gray wool and has nice tall French cuffs officers style.
The chest pocket corners are interesting: angled LW and KA style.
It is fully lined and lacks an inside pocket. It also lacks a slit and dagger hanger provisions...(= a combat tunic)

The collar is wide and fits SS tabs (the tunic was purchased stripped and lacked any insignia) but W-SS tab ghosts were apparent to me.
No signs of a machine stitched chest eagle ever...Liner also blank in that area.

[NickG]

More

[NickG]

Good tailoring..some inprints of buttons in the liner???
Good hardware, proper neck hook + eyelet!

[NickG]

Last set

[TrondK]

Nice one. This can be a good one.
I like the early tunics, and this is an very decorative model. If i were restoring this Nick, i would use a EM eagle.

Oooooooooor you can just stop the restoring and send the old smelly rags to me for proper disposal

[Robert H]

Piping was often removed or even not applied.

[Daniel.S]

but W-SS tab ghosts were apparent to me.

But ofcourse they were

[NickG]

Thanks for the comments thus far. OK so no need to worry about the tabs lacking silver piping for an officer candidate impression. Great!
Yes hard to prove what it ever was once, a long time ago, but it being a 5 button custom field tunic with pleated chest and non pleated skirt pockets
done in mid-late war wool makes it an anomaly and such a combination I feel fits better with para military or W-SS organization...not so much Heer/Army...
(no clear breast eagle but also no clear cuff title...)
So I chose Estonian W-SS...Hence taking this route while "putting paint on the canvas"...
Probably way to exotic for some...but it is an accurate representation done on a budget! I feel more comfortable doing it myself,
than having one of the a big dealer do it and charge for it at "an original/untouched" price!

[NickG]

For effect I threw some light gear on our "SS Junker" Officer candidate...
Such Fuhrer Anwarters (FA) were allowed officer type belts and officer hats..
(this one is an officer M43 filler with flat wire insignia and crown piping)

[NickG]

The "Polizei" pattern 3 lion Estonian shield was prevalent within the "Estnische Zug" of Wiking and SD members with Estonian nationality,
but also later worn by SS men who transferred from Polizei field battalions to W-SS and kept their early shields, a sign of seniority...
Note rare brown soft shell P38 holster, so I added a matching brown belt. (brown is really more a LW thing I guess, certainly later in the war)
+ crown piping on cap, which officer candidates were entitled to wear...

[NickG]

And a period image of a similar officer candidate (note same rank insignia)
This concludes my presentation of my Estonian Junker impression.
Thanks