Original Items: One of a Kind Set. This is great Service Used Army Heer Uniform set, which has that fantastic "been there" look that cannot be duplicated. It is really the full set, missing only a cap or helmet to complete it. The tunic is a great "salty" service worn wartime pattern German WWII Heer Army NCO M-36 Field Tunic, which in particular shows extensive wear, with the fuzzy "nap" worn off on exposed areas, now preserved mainly under the front closure. It's rare that we see a tunic with this much wear that hasn't been retired from service.

Even more amazing is that it has had the collar completely replaced, as well the bottom front portion on BOTH sleeves. This probably came into a field workshop or depot, and components on hand were used to make repairs so the soldier could get back out on the field. We can only imagine how it looked before these repairs, and since then it has had additional wear! There are holes, stains, tears, and all the great things you want to see on a service used item, which really add to the history.

The tunic features four pockets with gently scalloped flaps and pebbled aluminum buttons, and is closed with five pebbled aluminum buttons on the right breast flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap. All buttons are maker marked on the reverse, though this can be hard to see due to oxidation on some, and they are all sewn directly to the fabric of the tunic. It is adorned with the usual rank and insignia used on German tunics. The attractive Army breast eagle is the correct NCO BeVO  embroidered type, and is very neatly hand stitched to the chest in a fashion typical of wartime German tailor work. The interior is lined with olive light canvas, which shows some faded maker markings on the inner right side that we cannot make out.

The collar on this tunic looks to have been entirely replaced during service, as the underside and color clearly show that it has had extensive repairs. There is no NCO Tresse around the edge, but it may have worn away, or possibly the owner had been only recently promoted, and there was no time to get an updated uniform. Considering the condition they were probably not able to just run over to the depot and get another. There are 1940 pattern EM/NCO litzen collar patches on each side, which are woven from blue/gray thread with dark stripes, and do not have any surrounding background. They do not have Corps Color stripes, as in 1938 they were removed from EM/NCO collar insignia to save time. The collar and its insignia show wear consistent with long service in the field.

The button attached style NCO shoulder straps (Unteroffiziere Schulterklappen) attached to the tunic have a field gray wool base, with silver diamond-woven tress border that does not go around the ends. There are two attached silver strips with no rank "pips", indicating the rank of Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Cadet Under Officer), an Officer Aspirant rank rank equivalent to a corporal. The shoulder straps are very worn, and we cannot see any evidence of what Waffenfarbe (corps color) they originally were, though the included Jackboots without hobnails suggest they were in the cavalry. Unfortunately there really is no way to tell given the condition of the uniform, which is heavily worn and shows multiple repairs. Definitely some great research potential in this tunic.

The included breeches are made from matching fabric, and are show top quality wartime construction. They have a button fly closure with fully hidden buttons, with the usual buttons on the inside for suspenders and other attachments. There are two diagonal button-closed slash pockets on the hips, a pocket on the rear right, and a small button closed pocket near the fly. The bottoms of the legs have 4 inch long side slits with rayon ties on the bottom, so that the feet could fit through easier before the bottoms would be closed and tall boots worn. They do look however to possibly have been modified from the original configuration, so the original closure may have been different.

They are marked with the size information on the inside of the waist, and also have what looks to be a K 43 Depot stamp, as well as a faded RBNr. designation, as would be expected on breeches issued in 1943. Condition is very good, with just a few small moth nips here and there, and some small holes in the rear due to wear. They show the same type of wear to the fabric as seen on the tunic, though not quite as much.

The tall Jackboots included as part of this lovely set are in great shape, with the original leather still showing a great black finish, and have a great "broken in" look. They do not have hobnails installed on the bottom, but it is possible that they were removed during the post war period. The inside of both bear matching makers markings:

FRANZ REINSCH
DER REITSTIEFEL-SPEZIALIST
MITTELWALDE i/SCHLESIEN

This maker was located in Mittelwalde, Silesia, which today is known as Międzylesie, part of the Silesian Vovoidship in Poland, right on the border with the Czech republic. This definitively proves the WWII manufacture of these, as the name change happened at the end of the war. The leather in the boots is still supple, and they have forms in the bottoms to maintain the shape. The pull tabs on the interior are a bit worn, but still solid. Really a great set of boots. They measure 18 inches in height, and about 12 inches heel to toe.

The field gear rig part of the set is all in lovely well broken- in condition, and is built on the standard Heer EM/NCO belt with a Pebbled Aluminum buckle, maker marked L. K. O.. Attached to it are two lovely black pebbled leather triple ammo pouches for 98K stripper clips, fully functional with all straps and separators intact. The Y-straps are the correct WWII type, with the clips on the front for attachment to the ammo pouches, and the side straps to attach to more in the back, whether it an A-Frame, or in this case a rucksack. This is the later war version of the M41 rucksack, which utilized a coarser weave and utilized less leather. It looks to be complete, though there is some tearing. It is RBNr. marked on the back, which could be researched.

This is really a fantastic set, with a great "salty" service worn look that shows that it was really there during the war, and saw quite a bit of it if the wear is any indicator. All the components are completely period correct, with real period wear that simply cannot be duplicated. If you were looking for a great centerpiece for a German WWII display, this might be it! Ready to fit on a mannequin and display!

Approx. Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 9"
Shoulder to sleeve: 23”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17.5”
Chest width: 19"
Waist width: 17"
Hip width: 21”
Front length: 27"

Pants:
Waist: 16"
Inseam: 23.5"

Terms such as M40 and M43 were never designated by the Wehrmacht, but are names given to the different versions of the Model 1936 field tunic by modern collectors, to discern between variations, as the M36 was steadily simplified and tweaked due to production time problems and combat experience.

Field Tunic (Feldbluse) Model 1936
When the NSDAP came to power in early 1933 the Reichswehr, the armed forces of the Weimar Republic, were near the end of a two-year project to redesign the Army Feldbluse (field-blouse). Beginning in that year the new tunic was issued to the Reichsheer and then the rapidly growing Wehrmacht Heer, although minor design changes continued to be made until the appearance of the standardized Heeres Dienstanzug Modell 1936. The M36 tunic still retained the traditional Imperial and Reichswehr uniform color of grey-green "field gray" (feldgrau) wool, but incorporated four front patch pockets with scalloped flaps and pleats (on Reichswehr tunics the lower pockets were internal and angled). The front was closed with five buttons rather than the previous eight, and the collar and shoulder straps were of a dark bottle-green instead of the Reichswehr grey. Compared to the Weimar-era uniforms the skirt of the feldbluse was shorter and the tailoring was more form-fitting due to Germany's adoption of mechanized warfare: soldiers now spent much time in the confined space of a vehicle and a shorter jacket was less likely to pick up dirt from the seats. It also included an internal suspension system, whereby a soldier could hang an equipment belt on a series of hooks outside of the tunic. These hooks were connected to two straps inside the lining, which spread the weight of equipment without having to use external equipment suspenders. The M36 was produced and issued until the very end of the war, though successive patterns became predominant.

German "Jackboots"
The term Jackboot originally denoted tall winged leather cavalry boots, which had been "jacked", or reinforced against sword blows by use of mail (armor) sewn into the lining of the leather. The wings on these high boots particularly protected a rider's knee-joint from a sword blow. These boots are still worn and still so termed by the Household Cavalry Regiment of the British Army, founded in the 17th century. The term originates from the French word Jaque (m) meaning mail. The term is of Catalan origin, descended from the Arabic schakk. These boots were made very heavy by the mail reinforcement, and are slightly less so today from the use of modern materials as stiffeners. There are few manufacturers of Cavalry Jackboots extant in the 21st century, the most famous being Schnieder Boots (pronounced Schneeder) of Mayfair, London, the official supplier to Her Majesty the Queen's Household Cavalry.

The second meaning of the term is derived from the first, with reference to their toughness, but is unrelated in design and function, being a combat boot designed for marching, rising to at least mid-calf, with no laces, typically a leather sole with hobnails, and heel irons. The Germans call this boot "Marschstiefel", meaning "marching boot". This is the classic boot used by the German Infantry in World War I, though the Stormtroopers dispensed with them in favor of laced boots then used by Austro-Hungarian mountain troops. An etymological source not derived from the Cavalry Jackboot has been suggested as from the word jack, jacket or jerkin, as a common garment worn by the peasantry

Although hobnailed short jackboots date from before the Napoleonic era, they became popular with the Germanic armies in the mid to late 19th century because of their perceived durability over "lesser" boots. Worn out boots were considered a major problem for armies on the march and the high quality leather "jackboot" with its hobnails was deemed to be more durable than the alternatives available. As Prussia and the associated German minor powers relied on quickly defeating its opponents before they could fully mobilize and coordinate, their infantry's ability to march long distances was a major issue. The jackboot was replaced by lesser quality ankle boots in the German army when leather became scarce in World War II.