Germany, Luftwaffe. An Officer’s Visor Cap, by Clemens Wagner

(Luftwaffe Schirmmütze für Offiziere). A well-preserved Luftwaffe Officer’s visor cap, constructed of dark grey wool. The cap is fully surrounded by reinforced side walls which are lined on the exterior with a ribbed black mohair cap band. Lengths of silver aluminum wire piping trim both the top and bottom edges of the cap band, while an additional band of identical piping trims the outer edge of the crown. Stitched onto the peak is an insignia consisting of a dark grey wool backer bearing a hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, measuring 75 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). Directly below the eagle, the centre of the cap band features an additional insignia consisting of a black wool backer bearing a silver aluminum wire oak leaf wreath surrounding a central tri-colour cockade executed in multi-coloured wire with a red wool centrepiece, in turn flanked on each side by stylized wings. The cap band is flanked by pebbled aluminum buttons which secure in place a silver aluminum wire chinstrap, adjusted with dual functional sliding knots. Completing the exterior features is a vulcanfibre visor finished in black on the obverse and in green on the reverse. A wide brown leather sweatband surrounds the interior of the cap band, and bears a faintly-legible trade name. The sweatband folds down to reveal a maker’s mark of “CLEMENS WAGNER, BRAUNSCHWEIG”, surrounding a manufacture date of “APR. 42”. The interior structure is also encompassed by a golden-yellow rayon liner, with the crown demonstrating the remnants of a transparent plastic moisture guard. The cap measures approximately 23 cm (w) x 27 cm (l) x 15.5 cm (h). Issues consistent with age and field use are evident, and include minor material fatigue to the wire elements, soiling throughout the sweatband and interior liner, total loss of the moisture guard, and some distortion of the side walls. A storied example in overall very fine condition.