Yugoslavia, Republic. An Army Colonel General Service Uniform, from the Estate of Colonel General Ivan I. Gošnjak

A scarce Yugoslav Army “General-Pukovnik” rank service uniform, from the Estate of important Army Colonel General Ivan I. Gošnjak, a close associate of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito.

1. The visor cap is constructed of olive-drab coloured cotton textile fabric. The sidewalls are reinforced, colour-matched, and fully integrated into the rest of the cap. It is lined, with gilded aluminum bullion piping along the outside edge of the crown. Pinned to the front of the cap is a Yugoslav General’s visor insignia, constructed of gilded and silvered bronze, and consisting of a red enameled five-pointed star within an open-ended laurel wreath. The cap is flanked on both sides by a small gilded bronze button featuring the insignia of the JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army). Between the buttons, resting on the visor, is a chin strap constructed of three side-by-side rows of twisted gilded aluminum bullion strand, with a knot on either side. The visor itself is constructed of vulkanfiber with a smooth lacquered surface on the top and a square-thatched surface on the underside. The top of the visor is decorated with the addition of a dual band of gilded aluminum bullion wire tresse to denote the rank of General. The interior of the cap consists of an olive-drab leatherette sweatband with colour-matched sidewalls and crown. The crown is decorated with a plastic maker’s diamond depicting the manufacturer of the visor cap in blue ink along with the sizing mark “58”. Otherwise unmarked, the cap measures approximately 25 cm (w) x 26 mm (l) x 14 cm (h). Minor material fatigue is visible to both the exterior and interior, but the cap remains in a near extremely fine condition.

2. The tunic is constructed of high quality olive-drab woven wool, featuring a traditional turned-down collar that transitions into double-breasted lapels. The collar is decorated on each side with a single tab constructed of a buckram core with fine quality gilded aluminum bullion wire embroidery in the shape of an oak branch consisting of a stem, six leaves of varying sizes, and three acorns. The collar is flanked on either side by a set of sewn-on shoulder boards that are sewn in place at the shoulder and secured to the uniform using a circular button decorated with the insignia of the Yugoslav People’s Army. The shoulder boards themselves are decorated with three five-pointed stars constructed of matching fine quality gilded aluminum bullion wire embroidery, consisting of a crossed set of cannon barrels within an open-ended laurel wreath, surrounded by a border of laurel leaves along the outer edge of the board. Together, the collar tabs and shoulder boards denote the rank of Colonel General (General-Pukovnik) of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA). The tunic opens into double lapels, the right side decorated with four vertically-mounted olive-drab bakelite buttons bearing a five-pointed star within a pebbled background. The buttons on the lapel meet an equal number of reinforced horizontal-slit buttonholes on the opposing side. This tunic features a total of four internal pleated pockets, each secured shut via a box-cut flap without additional buttons. The interior is lined with olive-drab cotton-silk blended fabric with a singular interior horizontal-slit pocket integrated into each flap. Both are integrated into the flap and are secured shut via a single olive-drab bakelite button. The tunic measures 44 cm across the shoulders (seam to seam), with a sleeve length of 64 cm, and an overall length of 88 cm. 

3. The trousers are constructed of matching thick, high quality, olive-drab coloured woven wool. The waist has a vertical opening centrally along the front, and is secured shut via three (missing one) matching olive-drab coloured buttons mounted vertically in a series along the right side of the flap, and meet an equal number of reinforced horizontal-slit button holes on the opposing side, and reinforced with a metal (magnetic) loop and catch assembly near the top for additional security. The waist of the tunic is decorated along the exterior with seven belt loops. It also features one diagonal-slit pocket per side along the front, along with one horizontal-slit pocket on the right side of the reverse, that is secured shut via a scalloped flap and a single matching olive-drab bakelite button. The pant legs are each decorated with red piping running along the exterior seam, from the waist, to the bottom of the cuff. The interior is partially lined along the waist with a cotton fabric depicting a linear pattern, with additional lining on the interior of the trousers to form the pockets. The trousers measure 42 cm across the waist, with an inseam of 83 cm, and an overall length of 108 cm.

This Yugoslav Ground Forces Colonel General service uniform is overall well preserved, with only minor signs of wear, along with minor mothing to the front of the tunic jacket, in overall better than very fine condition. 

Footnote: Ivan I. Gošnjak (June 10th, 1909 - February 8th, 1980) was a Croatian and Yugoslav communist who held several important positions during and after the Second World War. He was a carpenter by profession and joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in 1933. He attended Lenin School for one year during 1935, receiving lectures from Josip Tito. In January 1937 he was stationed as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War. Following the defeat of the republican forces in Spain, Gošnjak was a prisoner of war from 1939 until his escape in 1941. He traveled from France to Croatia with a fake passport, and joined Tito’s partisans later in 1941. Ivan Gošnjak served under Tito as Defense Minister from 1950-1953 and was elected a member of the Politburo several years in a row at the at the Yugoslav congress. General Ivan Gošnjak retired from active military service in 1974, and was later appointed to serve on the Council of Federation. He is buried in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens in Belgrade, Serbia.