Heer Feldgendarmerie Oberfeldwebels Combat Tunic, Produced in Austria

A highly interesting tunic, tailor made to a Austrian felndgendamerie Oberfeldwebel. Standard four pocket tunic, six button front closure, the pocket flaps are deeply scalloped in the Austrian style all with pleats. Dark green collar with officer type collar tabs with orange colored center stripes. The collar tabs are hand sewn in place. Sew-in shoulder boards are for a Oberfeldwebel with orange branch piping and two pips (one missing) and full surround of silver tress. To the upper left breast is the early style of Bevo woven breast eagle, white on a dark green wool. The eagle is machine sewn through the liner which makes perfect sense. This tunic was manufactured for a Austrian NCO and not a German one to start with. To the upper left sleeve is a very intertesting EM/NCO’s gendarmerie sleeve insignia hand sewn in place. The sleeve badge is constructed of pressed paper, a orange police eagle for gendarmerie on grey felt cloth. This is the first time we have seen this very interesting variation, which is without a doubt war time original. Also further down the left sleeve is a officer’s style “FELDGENDARMERIE” cuff band with silver/aluminum embroidery on fine brown colored cotton cloth. Above the left breast pocket is a two place ribbon bar pinned in place. The medals are East front medal and Romanian crusade against communism. To the second button hole is a Iron Cross 2’nd class ribbon machine sewn in place. To the left breast pocket is award loops sewn for two badges. Inside is fully lined with fine grey colored cotton silk. A name tag / tailor tag is sewn in place to the left inside. The initials are: “P.B”.

The tunic shows signs of real use with minor stains, nap wear all over and a nice matching age patina to all insignias. Both the cuff band and gendarmerie sleeve badge has a portion of un-done stitching. Nothing major at all, but also interesting and nice to see the clear “ghost” shadow beneath which indicates both the band and sleeve badge is original to the tunic. This tunic is completely untouched in our opinion and was bought from Budapest military museum in the 1970’s according to the seller.

A very interesting tunic being a carry over from the Austrian forces into the forces of the Third Reich, worn by a high ranking NCO serving in the feldgendarmerie!!

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