WW2 German Heer Gebirgsjager Mountain Troop Wind Jacket with shoulder boards patch
History information: During WWII the German army fielded nine Gebirgsjäger, (Mountain Troop), Divisions with an additional six Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), Mountain Divisions. Generally speaking the Mountain Divisions were specially trained and equipped Infantry Divisions designed for mountainous warfare. Due to the nature of the terrain and the commonly colder climates that the Mountain Divisions were expected to serve in, special clothing, footwear, equipment and support weapons were developed and issued specifically for their use. Primarily the special equipment developed for the Mountain troop personnel consisted of winter warfare and mountain climbing related items and included, skis, ski accessories, crampons, pitons, ice pick axes, snowshoes, snow goggles, etc.
One of the specific Mountain troopers clothing items was the wind jacket which was introduced in 1938 and saw limited wear during the war. The wind jackets were designed to fit over the standard uniform and equipment and as a result were cut quite large. Regulations dictated that no collar tabs or national breast eagles were to be worn on the wind jacket but slip on shoulder straps/boards, EMs and junior NCOs sleeve rank insignia and the Mountain troopers Edelweiss insignia were to be worn. The different branches of service within the German army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with light green being chosen for Gebirgsjäger, (Mountain Troop), personnel which was displayed as piping on the shoulder straps/boards. Of Note: On May 2ND 1939 the OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), authorized wear of a distinctive Edelweiss tradition badge by Mountain Troop personnel to be worn on the upper right sleeve of the service, dress and field uniforms including the wind jacket.The design of the Edelweiss badge was based on a badge introduced by Emperor Franz-Joseph I in 1907 for the Austro-Hungarian Alpine troops and granted for wear by Imperial German Alpine troops in 1915 as an honorary emblem of bravery. Of Note: The Edelweiss, (Noble White), (scientifically, {Leontopodium Alpinum}), is a European Mountain flower of the Asteraceae, (Sunflower), family which tends to flourish in inaccessible, rocky, limestone locations at altitudes ranging from roughly, 6,560 to 9,515 feet, (2,000 to 2,900 meters), making it a most suitable emblem for Mountain troops.
On introduction the badge was on a blue/green badge cloth base, but in early 1940 this was altered to a field-grey wool base. Of Note: A metal Edelweiss with stem was designed for wear on the mountain cap and a stemless Edelweiss was authorized for wear on the visor cap. Original regulations, unsuccessfully, dictated the Edelweisses were to be removed from wear if the personnel were transferred out of a Mountain Troop unit. On November 12TH 1944 regulations were altered to permitted continued wear of the Edelweiss after transfer out of a Mountain Troop unit as long as the individual had combat experience with the Mountain Troops. Generally EM/NCO personnel utilized machine embroidered or woven Edelweisses while Officers ranks wore higher quality, hand embroidered Edelweisses.
The Mountain Troops proved themselves especially valuable in all the mountainous theatres of the war including the Carpathians, Norway, the Balkans and Greece and Northern Italy as well as Crete. The Edelweiss Mid-war sleeve insignia for German Mountain is embroidered on field gray wool. The waffenfarbe (shoulder boards) are that for an utteroffizer and in the correct Hellgrün (light green) color (don't get me started on which shade of green was for which Heer armed branch).Condition: Used but in good condition. Some of the buttons have come loose over time and have been sewn back on by me using the originally thread. Size Medium: 40 US chest size. The item "WW2 German Heer Gebirgsjager Mountain Troop Wind Jacket with shoulder boards patch" is in sale since Friday, December 28, 2018. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Reproductions\Germany".
The seller is "thegreatshaggy" and is located in Baldwinsville, New York. This item can be shipped to United States.