Early Grey Service Cap with Runes

[ObKrieger]

Damn. That's a nice hat!

[Friedrich-Berthold]

In reply to the query about the introduction of grey uniforms and caps the earliest documents I have seen from late 1934 refer, interestingly enough, to the "new colour" without mentioning field grey, earth grey or earth brown. Certainly the LAH was fully equipped with grey clothing in early 1935 and their documents use the term field grey.
d'Alquen

Apropos the question posed in # 48.

I think another aspect is found in the civil military status of the Leibstandarte and the SSVT in the period 1934 until 1938 versus other entities.

The Klaus Juergen Mueller and the Bernd Wegner books treat the above issue (not the color of textiles, but civil military relations....).

[Friedrich-Berthold]

At this time the German army was not fond of the ss, more or less Hitlers own bodyguard unit. I assume wearing feldgrau would be at this time reserved for the army to show that the ss had no intension of overtaking the primary military position. This is just an opinion.

There is much merit in this analysis, see my post and the sources I cite.

[d'alquen]

"I wonder why the LSSAH were not prohibited to wear feldgrau during this period?"
Ben,
I have not come across a document that provides any specific clues as to why the Leibstandarte were kitted out in field grey. I do know that Himmler still wanted them to retain their political identity as members of the SS. The document below from July 1935 supports this as it is a letter from Himmler to Dietrich wanting the name of the officer who had the gall to order field grey shirts despite Himmler's order stating that the SS brown shirt must be worn with the field grey uniform.
d'Alquen

[N.C. Wyeth]

One should always be cautious when speculating in the absence of facts. Earlier in the thread I wondered if the order for the SS-VT to wear earth grey instead of field grey was politically motivated. This document from May 9, 1935 provides a far more prosaic reason. It appears at that point in time there were sufficient stocks of earth grey material to last for a further three years.
d'Alquen

Certainly availability of stock and thrift had much to do with the decision, but i would caution that political motivations should not be overlooked either . . . by reading that document, I suppose we should be grateful that an over-abundance of fabric in pink was not available at that moment in time.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

"I wonder why the LSSAH were not prohibited to wear feldgrau during this period?"
Ben,
I have not come across a document that provides any specific clues as to why the Leibstandarte were kitted out in field grey. I do know that Himmler still wanted them to retain their political identity as members of the SS. The document below from July 1935 supports this as it is a letter from Himmler to Dietrich wanting the name of the officer who had the gall to order field grey shirts despite Himmler's order stating that the SS brown shirt must be worn with the field grey uniform.
d'Alquen

Thank you for another of the fruits of your excellent research. This kind of scolding is typical of Himmler. In the volume of his speeches published 40 years ago, there are also statements about the inviolable character of the brown shirt in various orders of dress.

[youthcollector1]

There is much merit in this analysis, see my post and the sources I cite.

Thank you sir. I will look for that cite.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Some of this is also in vol. III of Mollo if memory serves. There were also a series of agreements on the civil military character of the SSVT, and its relationship to the army in the years 1934 until 1939 which I cannot recall in detail. Klietmann refers to them, but also they are all in Wegner, if not in K J Mueller.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

But the real sources, that is, the nice things that Mr. d'Alquen shares with us are always the most exciting to me, at least.

[davejb]

Hi Ben , what a splendid cap, and one that i am sure you are thrilled with ,it just shows that these pieces are still out there if you know where to look and you always show your skill in sourcing excellent pieces,i hope i get the chance to see it in person someday. Another point to note is that when a truly fine piece is shown the amount of researched and well informed assistance that is posted is a joy to behold and makes the subject even more pleasurable and interesting . I have only ever seen two grey caps with all three markings, one at CALL TO ARMS in Islington and at MuswelL Hill many moons ago both now long gone