Wool White-Tops

[militarymania]

great bunch of fabulous hats...

[stonemint]

F-B, you are correct, woolen white-tops were far more common during the Kaiserreich, although the padding was minimal.

Here are two such examples, the second being for the Garde du Corps, and the first for a Cuirassier regiment:

(for those not in the know, the Garde du Corps would be the equivalent of the LSSAH)

[stonemint]

As F-B correctly notes, silk was also worn during the Kaiserrich. Here is a silk "crusher" worn by a Luftstreitkrafte pilot, also called a Reitmutze.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks for the further visual evidence as pertains to my generalizations.


The silken cap was also worn in the SS.

The Garde du Corps was the Prussian life guards of the Prussian king and court, but there were several other guard regiments in the Prussian army, as well as the armies of the other German states, to say nothing of such units in the Habsburg army. Nazi white uniforms were little more than knock offs of various prototypes in certain aspects from the armies prior to 1918.

Such a cap is equally or more elegant than the much slobbered over cap with a white cover, and also quite rare in its own right.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

and here im deutschen Heere bei der Kavallerie...

This is an exceptional piece.

[stonemint]

A very rarely seen Luftwaffe EM/NCO wool white top (Trikot) with rayon piping:

(formerly of the Jason A collection)

[stonemint]

I was reminded by someone of this wool Luftwaffe EM/NCO white-top that was in the Moran book. Colored piping was against regulations, but we all know regs are not always followed, even during the TR.

However, w/o a hands-on, I can't say if it is legit.

[stonemint]

Wool white-tops for any TR organization are rare, but you see them the most often with KM Officer visors (for obvious reasons).

Here is one such example:

[stonemint]

Goering was definitely an Erel man. Note the gilt bullion piping on the crown:

[stonemint]

It appears Forster is wearing a red-piped wool white-top, but hard to tell: