Germany, Luftwaffe. An Officer’s Visor Cap

(Luftwaffe Schirmmütze für Offiziere). A Luftwaffe Officer’s visor cap, constructed of dark grey wool with a whipcord weave. It features reinforced side walls which are fully lined on the exterior with a ribbed black mohair cap band. Both the top and bottom edges of the cap band are trimmed with silver aluminum wire piping, while an additional length of identical piping surrounds the outer edge of the crown. Stitched onto the peak is an insignia consisting of a dark grey wool backer bearing a hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, measuring 55 mm (w) x 35 mm (h). Directly below the eagle, the centre of the cap band is stitched with an additional insignia in the form of a tri-colour cockade and wreath, executed in silver aluminum wire embroidery on a dark grey wool backer, measuring 135 mm (l) x 40 mm (h). The lower edge of the cap band is flanked by pebbled aluminum studs which accommodate a chinstrap constructed of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire, adjusted with dual sliding knots. A protruding vulcanfibre visor completes the exterior features, and is finished in black. The interior is fully encompassed by a mutli-piece beige rayon liner, while a wide brown leather sweatband surrounds the side walls. Unmarked, the cap measures approximately 24 cm (w) x 27 cm (l) x 16 cm (h). Issues consistent with age and field wear are evident, and include material fatigue to the base material, which is particularly extensive to the wire elements, separation of the visor stitching along approximately one-third of its length, and significant soiling and material fatigue to the interior, the latter resulting in the loss of a portion of the sweatband. This battle-test cap remains in a fair condition.