1st pattern Winterjacke 42

[Kohima]

I would like to share my penultimate delivery of last year - a 1st pattern reversible Winterjacke 42, with blue-grey wool shell and white cotton reverse, in very good, used condition.

Despite its superior thermal properties, the wool outer quickly proved impractical for several reasons; notably, its bulk and weight, particularly when wet, and the subsequent difficulty in drying it out in sub-zero temperatures.
Although slightly less resilient, the later cotton-shelled versions were lighter, afforded greater freedom of movement and were marginally less of a challenge to dry (though the winter face was frequently touched up with white paint, rather than attempting to wash these bulky garments)!
Furthermore, the tightly woven cotton outer could be screen-printed in the many camouflage patterns that rapidly evolved during the relatively short lifespan of the Winteranzug 42 & 43.
Nevertheless, these early versions remained in frontline service, alongside their camouflaged counterparts, until the end of the war.

This example is still fitted with most of its original, blue-painted buttons (with just two missing from the cuff adjustment sets), and is thus generally accepted as Luftwaffe issue.
Of particular interest, the gathering cords at hood and bottom hem appear to be constructed from the copper brown collar piping of the Luftwaffe’s signals branch, omitted from the Tuchrock, Waffenrock and Fliegerbluse in 1940; this would seem a practical employment for the, no doubt, large stocks of this piping cord left languishing in uniform manufacturer’s stores.

I am particularly pleased to have found this fine, early example - used, but with good, bold colouring and very little wear and tear - and attach the auction house images (cdt: Hermann Historica). The only (tiny) downside is the lack of any clear markings, but you can’t have everything, and otherwise, it was well worth the many years’ wait to find one in this condition!

Naturally, a good pair of the Winterhose 42 have just been bumped to the top of my wish list!
Plus, a pair of 1st pattern mittens and, perhaps, a better Winterkopfhaube too!
All the best for this New Collecting Year,
Rob

[rbminis]

Nice parka!
Ralph.

[MAP]

Excellent. I would be tempted to wear it on a cold winter night walking the dog! LoL

[Kohima]

I must confess, MAP, the thought has crossed my mind!
Trouble is, there’s just a lot of heavy rain at present, but when it dries up a bit, I’m sure I’ll give it a field test! I don’t have a dog, but maybe it would make a lovely, cozy cat bed

Thank you, Ralph. I know the camouflaged versions are more ‘glamorous’, but I’ve always favoured early kit and there’s something ‘businesslike’ about these grey uniforms. I’ve nearly bought a few of these, over the years, but they were never as good as this one. I’m glad I waited!

[JPhilip]

Hello,
That's a very clean example of the 1st type winter parka, congrats and thanks for sharing it with us.
Grey parkas were well featured by WSS troops in Kharkov during winter 1942/43
Thanks

[Kohima]

Thank you for your kind words, JPhilip.
I am very pleased with it and have been searching for such an example for many years.
The hunt is on for a similar pair of Winterhose now!
I hope it doesn’t take as long...

A slightly more used pair would certainly work, visually, as trousers routinely take more of a battering than jackets.
All the best,
Rob

[Danmark]

Looking in my old album, I had one of these in the 1980's but the hood had been cut off.

Never knew when it was done but it had to go...ha, ha.

Dang, now I wish I'd hung onto it.

[Kohima]

I have read that hoods were sometimes replaced with collars during the war, and is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility, but I don’t think I’ve seen any period photographs to back this up - or, at least, none come to mind (I’ll have to have another rummage through my library)!

I have a Luftwaffe square-quilted example that has had a grey-blue wool collar fitted and, again, cannot say if this is a wartime or post-war modification, though it is a professional job, using military materials, and could well be a field-tailored piece.

A pity you parted with yours, Dan. A nice, hoary example that would look great on a battle hardened mannequin!

[Danmark]

Funny, I never appreciated it at the time. Lots of repairs and patches on the grey side ( you can see some of them in the photo )