Germany, SS. A Pair of 12th SS Division Camouflage Trousers, Field-Made from Italian Cloth, Normandy Retrieved

(12. SS-Panzerdivision HJ Tarn Hose). An interesting pair of trousers, constructed of cotton duck cloth. The exterior is dyed in a classic Italian Telo mimetico camouflage, with a mottle consisting of a primarily olive-drab base overlaid by irregular splotches of dark brown and light green. The waistband features a hollow channel retaining an original drawstring to serve as a belt, while a French fly closes with two black bakelite buttons on the right, meeting three buttonholes on the left. Large pockets are set into the upper front of each leg, both closing with horizontal flaps perforated with buttonholes which meet black bakelite buttons. Each ankle has an integral belt that similarly fastens with black bakelite buttons for flush closure in the field. Unmarked, the trousers measure approximately 48 cm across the waist, with a total length of 116 cm (when folded on a flat surface). Unmarked, they demonstrate minor material fatigue consistent with both age and field wear. A classic example of a field-made uniform constructed from seized Italian camouflage material, commonly worn by members of the 12th SS Panzer Division HJ during the Normandy campaign throughout the summer of 1944, these scarce trousers remain in a better than very fine condition.