Is this Luftwaffe NCO's Schirmmütze OK? Ebay find...

[mel]

Hi all,

I collect 99.9% US WW2 items, but saw a Buy-it-Now for a Luftwaffe EM/NCO visor cap the other day for just under $500 including postage. The story with it is that the seller's grandfather had traded a pack of cigarettes for it from a German POW. The last place I ever thought I would buy a TR cap was on eBay - but when it popped up, it looked good to me, so I pulled the trigger.
I hope I did OK...

Thanks!











Note the staining of the sweatband at the front, under the visor:



The unit name? Was 12 Staffel, now 6. Staffel:




The maker's name and date - 1937:





Finally, the name of the owner!

[Walkwolf]

Hi Mel, welcome to the Forum.

Good original EM cap. Great score, although the eagle is breast insignia
for Officers. ( Bonus ! - If it's original, these are worth around $125 ! )
Take a look at the reverse - there will be a long pin, where an original
EM cap eagle would be about one third smaller and have 3 bendable
prongs holding it in place.

You can find a proper eagle for it. Not difficult.........

[M18922]

It is original, well done. I like it.

Cheers, Pat

[BobS]

Looks like a good original flight/para enlisted cap. I have a similiar cap, also made by Geb. Alm.

BobS

[SteveR]

Welcome to the forum sir.
A very nice cap.

[mel]

Welcome to the forum sir.
A very nice cap.

Appreciate the welcome and compliment!

But it's "Ma'am" for me

[mel]

Hi Mel, welcome to the Forum.

Good original EM cap. Great score, although the eagle is breast insignia
for Officers. ( Bonus ! - If it's original, these are worth around $125 ! )
Take a look at the reverse - there will be a long pin, where an original
EM cap eagle would be about one third smaller and have 3 bendable
prongs holding it in place.

You can find a proper eagle for it. Not difficult.........

Excellent news!!! You know, I was wondering why the bottom of the insignia was banging onto the cockade... and then realized that it is, as you quickly noted, a breast eagle! I will take a photo of the reverse and the sides of the pin; curious to hear if it's original. The one concern I have is that the pin mounting points appear to be soldered on. Curiously, the holes in the cap seem to indicate that this pin has been there for a while...

Do you think it would be possible to eventually ID the owner?

I guess this would be my starting point:

1) Last name was Bottcher/Boettcher
2) May have been from Berlin
3) Was a POW in Europe (where the seller's grandfather was)
4) Was in the 6.Staffel
5) Had the rank of ...... (please help me here - is there any way to discern if he was an EM or NCO?

Cheers,
Melanie