WSS pattern M44 tunic

[NickG]

With army (Heer) officers insignia...(I got it for under $1600)

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...54#post8313454

[NickG]

I was able to obtain this tunic and should have it in hand next week.

Should I carefully undo some of the bottle green M36 facing material on the collar and take a peek underneath and if it looks good, strip it
and re-restore this SS pattern M44 to its proper camp made configuration? (lacking RBNr)

[NickG]

Other than the collar conversion and the ill-restored army parts, here's its twin from Beaver's SS uniform book with identical liner, similar size stamps too...
and no RBNr of course! Camp made!
(these size stamps can appear in both the left or right panels btw...)
COMPARE LINERS!

[NickG]

I plan to add this matching "doe skin" set of uniform removed SS tabs, (filler straps)
and of course an embroidered Dachau pattern SS sleeve eagle.

[NickG]

So rebuild it back to W-SS with a regular collar?
(which I am sure is still intact under this M36 collar facing material).

or keep it fancy looking like this Heer officer impression, keep the Heer infantry boards
and restore it with SS officer rank insignia on a dark green collar?

[Mike Swan]

Nick,

A great acquisition.

If mine, I wouldn't tamper with it.

Regards, Mike

[NickG]

Nick,

A great acquisition.

If mine, I wouldn't tamper with it.

Regards, Mike

It was tampered with (wrongly restored) already...
In 2012 it looked like this....but it is Waffen SS based on the interior materials as described in Beaver's SS uniform book
and the stamps (no RBNr etc...)

[Mike Swan]

Fair enough. In that case, go for it.

Please post the "after" photos in due course.

Mike

[NickG]

So
-Leave "as is", a Heer Infantry officer? (not period done) albeit the fact it is a W-SS made tunic...
-Restore to EM/NCO Waffen SS with a regular collar? (removing the dark green facing, easily done)
-Restore to W-SS officer and keep the dark green fancy collar?

For the last option it would look something like this (tailored) officers one...

[Sonnenwende]

What would be best? Its difficult to say. Originally it was an M44 manufactured for the Waffen-SS no doubt. You want to bring it back to that? Might have been an unissued example from a depot without collar patches and just an arm eagle if even that. Depending a lot on how it looks once you have it in hand for inspection, the collar has been removed and you have looked for a previous collar patches and an arm eagle. Also removing the Heer eagle might leave a shadow or visible stitching holes, maybe removing the green collar might give visible problems as well. Perhaps the best is to leave it as it is?

If you are a purist you would restore it to what it was in the day. The EM version is the best looking IMO.

Just my 2 cents.

Regards
Sonnenwende

[NickG]

If you are a purist you would restore it to what it was in the day. The EM version is the best looking IMO.

Just my 2 cents.

Regards
Sonnenwende

I agree fully! That's what I am aiming for after inspecting it "in hand" ! W-SS enlisted or rather NCO, usually no tresse on M44 collars!
Hopefully by next week it will arrive! I will keep this thread updated!
Any other opinions?