Aufklärer Schirmmütze - Scout Visor Cap

[TWS]

The war room is a bit untidy at the moment but I decided to shoot some photos of a fairly recent arrival.

Gerhard Strien was a Gefreiter and reserve officer candidate in Aufklärungs - Abteilung 29 of the 29. Infanterie Division. He fell in battle during the invasion of France on 18 June, 1940. His parents evidently kept both his visor cap and a newspaper clipping of his death announcement.

The announcement roughly says "Our deeply beloved and only son, Gerhard Strien Gefreiter and reserve officer candidate in a reconnaissance battalion fell on 18 June 1940 at the age of 20 on the earth of France. He took our big hopes and our joy with him. In deep pain, Gustav Strien and wife Elsa (maiden name Klöppel)."

It's easy to hold the clipping and imagine their pain as they gazed on this very same piece of paper 79 years ago.

The cap has a couple moth nips but is overall in clean and brightly colorful condition. Curiously someone at some time seems to have partly crushed the metal cockade and the chinstrap end was torn and re-anchored to the cap by driving the push-pin back in at another spot in the chin strap. I can only speculate at one time a kid (young relative?) got a hold of the cap and played around with it.

According to the Volksbund grave registration data base, Gerhard is buried in the war cemetery in Andilly, France.

[MAP]

A great visor and a sad story!

[rbminis]

A nice cap Todd! Congrats!
A sad story as Michael said.
Does it fit with one of your tunics?
Ralph.

[Ullergaard]

That is how to present a visor!
With the story to go with it..
I can also almost feel their pain reading those lines..

A truly great piece of history Todd and a great looking visor

Solamente los muertos han visto el final de la guerra!

[TWS]

A nice cap Todd! Congrats!
A sad story as Michael said.
Does it fit with one of your tunics?
Ralph.

Thanks Ralph!
Yes, I have a few Cavalary or Recon tunics with Goldgelb Waffenfarbe that it could be displayed with.
Like these Waffenrocks for instance:

[TWS]

That is how to present a visor!
With the story to go with it..
I can also almost feel their pain reading those lines..

A truly great piece of history Todd and a great looking visor

Solamente los muertos han visto el final de la guerra!

Thank-you very much sir! Thanks for appreciating the little bit of backstory I was able to provide. It is sad, but I like named items that are possible to research a little and bring a human element attached to them.

I agree with George Santayana, but most in the U.S. Army think Plato was the author.

[Ullergaard]

Thank-you very much sir! Thanks for appreciating the little bit of backstory I was able to provide. It is sad, but I like named items that are possible to research a little and bring a human element attached to them.

I agree with George Santayana, but most in the U.S. Army think Plato was the author.

Well done!
Most people think it is Plato..
Not many know it is in fact a George Santayana quote.
Those who have been or are in the army present day probably understand the meaning of those words!
A picture of my arm with that quote...
I know you will understand!

[sfk20]

I bid on that visor too. Glad it went to a nice home!

[TWS]

I bid on that visor too. Glad it went to a nice home!

Thanks! You guys are making me go broke at the auction.