German
Heer (Army) Afrika Korps
North Africa 1941
Inside tunic right bottom button flap, left photo.
Marked: 43 (top left), 100 (center), 73 (bottom left), 44 (top right), 54 (bottom right) and F 41 (bottom center).
Inside tunic left center button flap, right photo. Note removable "S" buttons.
Marked: Leopold Hartig
Ancheffenburg
Tropical Belt and Buckle, above photo.
The belt is constructed of khaki green webbing with a 1940 pattern, olive drab painted, stamped steel buckle.
Tropical Buckle, above photo.
The stamped steel buckle is marked and dated 1940 on the rear near the belt catch. The natural leather tab is marked:
SCHMOLE & COMP 1941 MENDEN.
Tropical Bayonet Frog, above photo.
This variation of the tropical bayonet frog is made of olive green canvas stitched with orange thread to a natural
brown facing.
Tropical Pith Helmet, Second Pattern, above left and right photo.
This pith helmet is made from stretched olive brown felt over a cork form. The Heer and National Insignia are made
from aluminum and affixed to the sides with pins. The dark green leather trim is missing from the edge of this helmet
as well as the dark green leather chin strap.
Manufacture of this helmet was discontinued in 1942. Wear of this helmet was limited to the southern area of Europe
and North Africa.
Tropical Pith Helmet, Second Pattern, above left and right photo.
The markings on the inside of this helmet indicate manufacture by JHS, size 55 (metric) and manufacture date 1942.
M31 Tropical Canteen, above left and right photo.
This .8 liter canteen is made from tooled natural aluminum with an impregnated wood covering. A khaki web carrying
strap holds the black bakelite cup to the top. The reverse is marked D.R.G.M. for Deutsche Reichs Gebrauchsmuster
or the German National Registered Design and dated 1943. This was a late war tropical design that also saw service
throughout Europe as leather stocks were depleted.
Tropical Heer (Army) Breast Eagle, above left and right photo.
This unissued tropical Heer breast eagle is embroidered bevo style from nylon/rayon thread and backing. The
blue/gray eagle is embroidered on a dark copper/tan base on a light tan background. This eagle was obtained from a
veteran in Georgia, U.S.A. and will be used to restore the tunic shown above.