Uniforms

Heer EM M43 HBT field blouse with factory sewn insignia. The field blouse is in good, lightly worn condition. The blouse is constructed from HBT or ‘Drillich’ material which was first merely a ‘Drill’ tunic used in training but became standard army issue in the form of four pocket tunics later in the war. The garment retains its factory sewn triangular sewn breast eagle and Einheitskragenlitzen for a enlisted man. There are some small repairs and damages but nothing serious. A nice medium sized garment, perfect for a mannequin!

Luftwaffe white fur flight jacket or Kanaljacke in good used condition. The main zipper is white plastic example by RiRi which is in good working condition. The zippers on the sleeves are stuck and would best left closed as is. Nice Kanaljacke in good condition!

Textbook winter parka trousers executed in Sumpftarn camouflage. The trousers are nicely marked RBNr. and II which would indicates a medium size which would easily fit any mannequin! The camouflage used for the construction of this garment is the so called hard-edged Sumpftarn which was developed in 1943. The trousers are in excellent condition without any damages and very bright beautiful colours. Hard to upgrade!

Early Luftwaffe fur flight jacket or Kanaljacke. Hard to find early example without the two buttoned pockets! The jacket is in very good condition with all working and factory installed zippers. The label inside is sadly unreadable but still present. Hard to find!

Rare reversible parka trousers in mixed Sumpftarn / Splittertarn camouflage. The parka trousers shows a very interesting mix of Sumpftarn and Splittertarn camouflage all over the construction. One leg piece is made of Sumpftarn, the other of Splittertarn. The pocket flaps are manufactured out of Sumpftarn and the reinforcement of the knee area on the leg piece is made out of Splittertarn. Simply a very interesting and beautiful mix of camouflage patterns! The parka trousers are in overall good condition with some small repairs and minor damages. The parka trousers are a small size which would still easily fit on a modern mannequin. The parka trousers are post war marked Bavaria Filmkunst which indicates these one belonged to a large film production company. Rare parka trousers which would be very hard to upgrade!

Textbook unissued Heer M40 trousers. The trousers have one moth hole which I pointed out in the photo. Otherwise a mint pair in a good large mannequin size. The trouses are nicely lined in grey rayon. Rare to find these early examples in this condition, perfect for a mannequin!

Heer Sumpftarn smock in worn condition. The jacket is in good condition without large damages or repairs. The front has a red painted letter P and the back has a red painted PG indicating this garment was worn by a Prisonnières de guerre or French prisoner of war. The jacket is a nice example for a mannequin with nice moderate wear!

Heer M36 service blouse for a Leutnant in Infanterie Regiment 53. This blouse retains its wartime sewn insignia including a nice set of cyphered shoulderboards for Infanterie Regiment 53. The blouse is a service blouse which shows genuine field wear with damages and wear which are typical yet hard to find! The left breast pocket shows a set of period sewn award loops and a additional set for a Bandspange. This is a killer field worn example for a 1940 campaign display!

Underneath a short unit history of Infanterie Regiment 53 during the 1940 campaign.

9 May 1940; Infanterie Regiment 53 was mobilized early may 1940. On may 1940 it received the order to march westwards in the night. Close to the border it took a pause near Effeld and Rothenbach.

10 May 1940; May 10, 03:00 it received the order to prepare and around 05.35 marched across the border near Vlodrop and stormed the bridge acros the Roer where it exchanged hands undamaged. They went trough St. Odilienberg and Linne. At 8.30 they reached Maasbracht where the Panzerjäger Kompanie attacked the bunkers at the Maas bridge. Around 12:30 the first troops crossed the Maas river where it took many casualties due to Dutch machinegun fire. The advancing troops managed to roll up the enemy troops, cross the canal at Neederwert and capture the bridge in Panheel intact. At around 13:00 the resistance was broken and Wessem was taken. The Dutch-Belgian border at Kessenich was crossed via Thorn by the evening.

11 May 1940; The 1. Bataillon moved in the night trough the hardly passable swamp and forest area south of Kinrooi towards Tengerloo. Using a set of half sunk barges the 1. Btl. crossed the Maas-Scheldt canal. Other  bataillons were brought up they used the regimental pioneer platoons rafts to cross it moving most if not all the units vehicles. Around midday the order was given to chase the enemy. They paused in Meeuwen and ended the day after crossing at Helchteren. By nightfall they had covered around 45 kilometers into Belgium resting in Lilo, Helchteren and Zolder.

12 May 1940; the regiment crossed the Albertkanaal which was cleared of Belgian resistance during the night. It received its first air raid in the west. They faced resistance when they reached Lummen which was taken by nightfall at heavy casualties.

13 May 1940; They pushed trough to Tienwinkel and moved into a defensive position at their bridgehead acros the Albertkanaal because the units to its left and right have not yet crossed the canal. Late in the evening it moved westwards again.

14 May 1940; The regiment was pulled from the front for a short pause where they were fed and received new ammunition. Afterwards marched trough Haelen to the staging area at Meensel-Kiesehem and Molembeek-Wersbeek. At 03:30 it moved to Lovenjoul where it arrived int he evening.

15 May 1940; The regiment crossed the Dyle river and took up positions to move towards Leuven. This attach was however called up and dug into defensive positions. They received a heavy artillery barrage from the British troops near Leuven.

17 May 1940; The regiment attacked across the Dyle. After crossing it repaired the blown bridges and the spearhead of the regiment advanced towards Brussels trough Eversberg, Corstenberg, Nosseghem and Zaventem. The regiment encountered hard resistance around Dieghem on the Canal du Nord.

18 May 1940; The regiment fought its way into Brussels trough Haren and Evere. In the evening the unit took positions and went to rest at Bodeghem and Schepdael.

19 May 1940; The regiment advanced to the Dendre canal. Around Ninove it encountered a British artillery barrage. The canal was heavily defended and around mid day the 5. Kompanie was the first to cross the canal. Around 17:00 the rest of the regiment had crossed.

20 May 1940; Marching trough the night the regiment reached Renaix(Ronse) and attacked towars the Schelde. Under heavy enemy fire it however stays pinned at their side of the river.

23 May 1940; The regiment attacked the crossing and secured the bridgehead

24 May 1940; The regiment crossed the river en masse moving to Vichte where it took rest.

25 May 1940; The regiment received the order to move into a wide defensive position. Enemy positions on the hills north of Heule and Galleghem were attacked and moved into.

26 May 1940; The regiment marched West

27 May 1940; The regiment marched in line with the spearhead of the unit towards Paschendaele were it attacked together with Infanterie Regiment 11.

29 may 1940; The regiment attacked and took Boesinghe.

30 May 1940; The regiment moved towards Dunkirk. After a quick march the regiment reached Elzendamme were a destroyed bridge was repaired by the Pionierzug. Trough Hoogstade and Stavele it moved towards Wegscheede. At Hondschoote it encountered a heavy artillery barrage and resistance. The spearhead of the unit managed to cross the Basse-Colm canal and disperse the enemy from the eastern bridgehead.

31 May 1940; The regiment was supposed to cross the canal which was however delayed trough the fields being flooded by the British. Towards the night the artillery was brought up and a Bridgehead across the canal was made.

1 June 1940; The regiment crossed the Digue canal at St. Michel. Where it stayed until June 3rd.

3 June 1940; The 9. Kompanie retreated due to their positions being flooded.

4 June 1940; The regiment moved into Dunkirk which ended the first battle of France.

After being deployed again for the Battle of France, the regiment fought at Henin-Literd, Moy, Nesle, Beauvais, Suznay, Surville, Maison Baugis, Chartres, Briarres and Augerville until the armistice in Larchant. It suffered 471 casualties of which 140 men killed.

15 October 1940; The regiment was renamed into Grenadier Regiment 53 and was moved to the 14. Infanterie Division.

July 1944; the unit was renamed to Verstärktes Grenadier-Regiment 1065 under the 14. Infanterie Division where it stayed on the eastern front until the end of the war.

 

 

Textbook, late war Heer issue M43 style trousers or ‘Keilhosen’. These trousers are dated 1944 and manufactured in typical Italian captured wool. Perfect example that would be very hard to upgrade!

Textbook Heer NCO m36 field blouse for a Unteroffizier der Infanterie in very good condition. The garment has some moth damage underneat the large right pocket. The field blouse retains its original wartime factory applied insignia. The breast eagle is factory hand applied, the Kragenspiegel are factory machine sewn along the sides and hand sewn at the ends. The shoulderstraps indicate the rank for a Unteroffizier u. Offiziers Anwärter der Infanterie. The blouse is dated 1940 and is probably one of the last M36 field blouses produced.

Spectacular uniform grouping named to Leutnant Seebold serving with Grenadier Regiment 44, 11 Infanterie Division, killed in action 26.3.1944 in Sirgalla, west of Narwa. He is buried in Jöhvi, Block 1 Row 21 Grave 1055. The grouping consists of the modified enlisted men M36 field blouse dated 1937, manufactured in Danzig. The garment is modified by a skilled tailor by means of adding a bottle green, pointed officer’s collar and insignia for a Leutnant. The breast is adorned with a Infanterie Sturmabzeichen by SchuCo and a unmarked Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz. There are a number of minor repairs to the tunic I have tried to photograph them as best as possible. The visor is a semi-crusher; a mix between a regular officer’s visor and a crusher which has a great look on a mannequin. The crusher has beautiful hand embroidered insignia which like all the other insignia in the grouping are period applied.

A beautiful and very interesting grouping that could be a good base for further research!

Rare Waffen-SS issue Keilhosen in very good, unissued condition. One missing button to the fly; otherwise very hard to upgrade. The trousers are not to be mistaken for its Heer counterpart; this is a Waffen-SS specific pair of trousers. The trousers are a small size but should in my opinion not be a problem for the newer small militaria mannequins. Hard to find piece!

Rare Heer Drillich Panzer wrap in combat worn condition. Typical and genuine example with restored breast eagle. The garment has a number of period repairs and is a one looker example in combat worn condition!

Rare Heer HBT or Drillich EM Panzer jacket in excellent, unissued condition. The garment is a textbook, late war example manufactured in reed green hbt or Drillich. The garment was meant to be worn on top of the wool Panzer and Stug wrap sets. These were not manufactured in black but were issued and worn by Panzer as well as Stug troops. The garment is a typical late war example with factory sewn insignia. The kragenlitzen are typical late examples with the typical red piping for assault guns stitched straight trough the collar. The breast eagle is a typical 1944 style example sewn triangularly. The jacket has some storage wear inside which could easily be cleaned if desired. The garment retains most if not all of the buttons and is a textbook example impossible to upgrade.

Late war Fallschirmjäger smock in Sumpftarn camouflage marked 0/1283/0040 IIB. This is a textbook late war Fallschirmjäger smock made in the hard edged Sumpftarn camouflage. This is the first type of Sumpftarn which was issued from early 1944 with its first documented action in Normandy. The smock has a tropical breast eagle which in my opinion is resewn to the piece. The smock retains all of its press studs and glass buttons on the front closure. The size is II B and not I B, the I an II is easily misread as the numerals are so close to eachother. The print is vibrant and full of contrast. A textbook and beautiful example!

Extremely scarce Waffen-SS Sturmgeschütz trousers marked 910 in excellent condition. Textbook Waffen-SS issue example manufactured in late war recycled wool. The trousers are in very good, near mint condition and would be very hard to upgrade. For sure one of the rarest Waffen-SS trousers to find!