RAD Officer's Tunic - Custom Variant for Oberstfeldmeister

**Rossi** · 09-20-2016, 09:48 PM

Here are more detailed pictures and notes after studying and inspecting it today: I am grateful to Wilhelm, HPL2008, Kradman, Fred Green, Bob Coleman, Gwar, MAP and others near & far for your analysis and opinions.

Video Of My RAD Items and the Tunic: https://youtu.be/CvGPsqZ-LDs

- Tunic is a more olive than gray. Note color versus my RAD Overcoat. Almost looks as if it was patterned off a NSKK tunic possibly.
- We have confirmed from a former RAD Soldier & source this was a 1944 issue RAD Tunic issued late war- still looking for a period photo of tunic.
- Is period made Tunic but has look & similarities of Feldbluse 44 as introduced for the Armed Forces. Is a 1944 pattern.
- No specific regulations or notes about the waist jacket were found & The "Verordnungsblatt" does not give any clues per Wilhelm Saris.
- Very clean tunic with fine tailored craftsmanship in the details
- The overall piece is very well stitched. Double & triple sewn in some areas and seams are very nice.
- One thread has been burn tested and passed. Black light has been taken to entire tunic and not one thing glows.
- Inside lining has strong gussets and nice detailing. Leaves me to believe this is not just a thrown together piece.
- No mothing at all and it is void of stains, holes, rips & tears.
- The Small snaps / buttons for collar to snap down are marked PRYM.
- All silver Pebbled Buttons on tunic are consistently and stamped with RZM with single circle & UE 71.
- Officer rank is equivalent to Oberstfeldmeister (pay group AD 7), but in the medical branch, the designation for this rank was Arbeitsfeldarzt.
- Cornflower blue [kornblumenblau] was the branch color for the medical service of the RAD (same as in the armed forces).
- The silver bullion embroidered thread sleeve insignia for Abt. 5/265. Gruppe 265 was headquartered at Göppingen.
- The 5th Abt. was from Straß 89278 Nersingen Germany.
- "BULAG" marking: This is the abbreviation for the Bayerische Uniformlieferungs - AG.
- "BULAG" was in Auerbach in the Upper Palatinate, the company was established ca. 1934 and went out of business in 1986.
- Stamp of "MSA Sch Ho" we think could stand for Motor-SA Schule Hochland but we are not certain.

RAD Officer's Tunic - Custom Variant for Oberstfeldmeister

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 09-20-2016 09:48 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**MAP** · 09-20-2016, 11:03 PM

My only bit of advice is for you to ask yourself....

Do you mind starting off your RAD Officer tunic collection with a unique "one off" items like this, or do you play it safe and start with a more accepted "textbook"

Like when getting your first helmet you typically start off with the tried and true no questions asked SD M40 Heer and then as you build out your collection you focus on more esoteric helmets.

Not questioning the tunic itself, just asking what you really want

For me? I love the weird and wacky and if I was confident it was good, I'd add it to my collection in a heartbeat

**Rossi** · 09-20-2016, 11:17 PM

...

**Combat Boots** · 09-21-2016, 01:19 AM

Sorry it didn't work for you but thanks for posting the great photo essay. Bob

**Rossi** · 09-21-2016, 05:04 AM

by Combat Boots

Sorry it didn't work for you but thanks for posting the great photo essay. Bob

Thanks Bob! I have changed my mind. I do believe it is just a period alteration or custom tunic so given the source I am picking it up from here and the notes I added above photos it is joining the RAD items in my collection. The price is very fair given the condition and the fact it is unique. I have had more thumbs up from multiple sources to pass on it even if it is not standard RAD issue.

Rossi

**Wilhelm Saris** · 09-21-2016, 01:48 PM

The olive-greenish color may indeed indicate the waist jacket was made from a tunic for a motor-school for the SA.
They used this or about color and their collar was brown. The abbreviation-stamp tells us it was!

Maybe one day it was "re-built" for specific reasons, we do not know. The shown jacket however is a form, which did
not come before the war. It was a fact in about 1944. Maybe someone had a foresight!

The changes were done by a skilled person anyway and not by some "snotty nose"!
When this was done is the question. I have seen tunics taken apart and the unsewn thread actually used again for
making something else! If the price was not that expensive, keep it. One never knows the true story behind this jacket.

It looks as a small size. Is that correct? The jacket was apparently anyway worn with a belt. For that the various hole-
combinations were "installed" for the Drahtseitenhaken. The holes are made at a much later date. Note there is
hardly any wear to the greyish thread.......

**Rossi** · 09-21-2016, 02:44 PM

by Wilhelm Saris

The olive-greenish color may indeed indicate the waist jacket was made from a tunic for a motor-school for the SA.
They used this or about color and their collar was brown. The abbreviation-stamp tells us it was!

Maybe one day it was "re-built" for specific reasons, we do not know. The shown jacket however is a form, which did
not come before the war. It was a fact in about 1944. Maybe someone had a foresight!

The changes were done by a skilled person anyway and not by some "snotty nose"!
When this was done is the question. I have seen tunics taken apart and the unsewn thread actually used again for
making something else! If the price was not that expensive, keep it. One never knows the true story behind this jacket.

It looks as a small size. Is that correct? The jacket was apparently anyway worn with a belt. For that the various hole-
combinations were "installed" for the Drahtseitenhaken. The holes are made at a much later date. Note there is
hardly any wear to the greyish thread.......

I am happy to have snagged the tunic. It makes sense that it is was of materials pulled from an earlier time / tunic and tailored up later war for a small officer. You are correct it is a small cut and size and in late war they were most likely throwing the young into the service for the war effort and using whatever they had. I took the pictures next to my tornister and over coat to try to show some scaling. My arm and 44" chest was certainly not going in there.

The first pictures I was provided did not do the tunic justice. When I saw the quality Of every seam and stitch I felt it was worth saving for the future. I agree on the story part. History and unknowns is what gets me excited to stay in hobby and appreciate the piece for more than a bundle of wool, material and thread. Thanks and be well!

**Rossi** · 09-21-2016, 06:46 PM

Over lunch I popped over to a mannequin shop and for $20.00 got it suited up. Took some outdoor shots and threw an extra armband I had in my collection on it. It is playing nice with the other RAD items even though he is now known as "THE VARIANT". He asked for a proper buckle & belt and told him he would need to hang on.

Cheers and thanks again all for the support in researching this. Your valuable assets and the help meant a lot.

Here is a short video of the tunic and other RAD items: https://youtu.be/CvGPsqZ-LDs

**BOB COLEMAN** · 09-21-2016, 09:13 PM

I agree 100% with Wim. A customized SA Motorschule tunic. At the end of the war, with shortages, it is not beyond reason that exisiting unused stocks were being altered. I saw a Heer waffenrock with pockets added for a POA Russian volunteer. At the time my friend acquired it, it still had a military intelligence inventory tag attached.

**Rossi** · 09-24-2016, 08:45 PM

Mr. Saris did some digging with a source very helpful on the RAD. He private messaged me today with more findings on this jacket. I will await him to reveal his findings and further info to this thread. Very helpful data and grateful to Wilhelm for his energy and time helping me do research on this late war 1944 vintage tunic.