Interesting Totenkopf Tunic

[Bob Hritz]

This tunic began it's life as a Ravensbrook made M-42 tunic. The soldier had it tailored to fit, had artificial pleats sewn on the pockets, had a dark bottle green collar applied over the issue collar and had the tunic shortened.

I assume a young soldier who wanted to look like a long-time veteran, when he had his tunic so altered.

Bob Hritz

[240stevek]

very nice piece. We greatly admire your fine collection. I do think this kind of class A uniform, i.e. the one that got fixed up nicely for walking out, reflects the reality of a soldier's uniforms as well as how these items have endured. In the world of the early 20th century, tailoring was not such an exclusive craft as might be said to exist in today's North America. Hence, simple soldiers had their better uniform (erste Garnitur) tailored for a soldierly appearance. A pleasing piece of regalia and thanks for showing us ever more of your treasures. And such unfolds here without the automatic calls from the cyber peanut gallery about everything being so awfully fake.

Well put... I agree with you 100%.

Steve

[Adrian Stevenson]

Yet another superb item Bob!

Indeed, FB has put it very well.

I think that the common public misconception that the German Military was a rigid organisation obsessed by rules and regulations was certainly not true when it came to uniform regs. I find it fasinating looking a period photos and better still at surviving uniforms, to see the myriad of alterations done. I often think that in the British Army they would not have got away with it The shortened length of the tunic seems to have been very fashionable "look" at the time.

Cheers, Ade.

[Dimas]

Interesting that artificial pleats seen by me together with a dark green collar- refashioned. One of the same shortened, with added artificial pleats and dark green collar was found by me in one of the ex-ussr theaters, unfortunately 90% of them are stripped or with the fake insignia added, sometime is just placed to the tunic with glue, which are not easy to remove.
Your's is absolutely nice tunic, as me myself, I prefer M42- german wool tunics, than M-43s.

[Dimas]

Ade, I think the war and life in the trenches is a bit different time. And the front style-fashion is something special for soldier- that was not a point of punishment

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Dimas, I think "Fronline fashion" is actually a very German thing.

I recall reading of new replacement soldiers upon joining the DAK bleaching their caps "white" in order to look more like their veteran comrades who's caps were faded out due to the sun.

Cheers, Ade.

[Dimas]

And the same with the crusher caps, which was fashioned for front use

[SS Ring Man]

Nobody likes looking like a new-be! It's all about respect even those of you that just got off the boat with no time on the clock, you want to fit in with you peers.

[Lars]

Very nice and interesting Tk tunic

Cheers

[Killroy]

A wonderfull tunic from my favorite division!