Lot 661

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Description:


A fine example of an unusual Third Reich military uniform, consisting of a field-grey wool tunic displaying the machine-embroidered shield patch of the Latvian Legion of volunteers on the right-hand sleeve. The bottle-green wool collar displays two Wehrmacht-style officer's 'litzen' collar tabs, and each shoulder bears a slip-on style strap of knotted aluminum bullion with no pips, indicating the rank of major. The shoulder straps are backed with grey wool 'waffenfarbe', indicating that this officer was involved in propaganda or worked as a war correspondent, and each is secured by a pebbled metal button. A national eagle patch embroidered in silver bullion on black wool is sewn to the right-hand breast, and each breast also features a patch-style pleated pocket with flap closure secured by a pebbled metal button. A similar pocket also appears at each hip, and the front of the tunic is secured by six pebbled metal buttons. The interior is lined with grey rayon, and features the embroidered label of maker E. Fettweis of Wesel inside the collar, above a second label identifying the maker as a member of a master tailor's guild. A horizontal slash pocket is fitted inside the left-hand side. The lining is partially unstitched beneath the arms and shows a few small holes, while the exterior shows a stitched repair at the front just below the collar, and some moth nips overall, most of which do not penetrate the fabric. The tunic is accompanied by an officer's visor cap of field-grey wool, featuring a gilt metal Wehrmacht-style national eagle badge above a cockade within a gilt metal oak wreath. The crown is encircled by grey wool piping, again indicating propaganda duties, as is the bottle-green band. A braided aluminum bullion chinstrap is affixed over the vulcanized fiber bill by a small pebbled metal button on each side. The interior is fitted with a brown leather sweatband and lined with cream-colored rayon, both showing notable wear and soiling. A celluloid sweat shield protects a partial-illegible maker'sSchmitz' label, with a small pouch containing a small label inscribed with the owner's name 'Schmitz'. Besides the wear and soiling previously described, the cap shows a few small moth nips to the exterior, which do not penetrate the fabric, and wear to the gilt finish of the insignia, else very good. Prior to October of 1944, Latvian volunteers served with the Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, Kriegsmarine and police forces, all under the collective banner of the Latvian Legion. After this date, all Latvian volunteer units were placed under the jurisdiction of the Waffen-SS, although this did not uniformly remove all Latvian personnel from service with the other branches. At the war's end, soldiers of the Latvian Legion, like many foreign volunteers serving with German forces, were considered traitors and summarily court-martialed.

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October 28, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
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$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000