Original German WWII Luftwaffe Mechanic Black HBT M38 Overseas Cap by Carl Halfar with Unit Marking in Size 56 ½ - Schiffchen

Original Item: Only One Available. Well this is something that we have not had before! While we have had numerous EM/NCO and Officer overseas caps from the Luftwaffe, we have never had one of these Mechanics caps, made with a black HBT Fabric outer shell. We assume these were worn by EM/NCOs, as most mechanics would definitely be in the technical branch, and there would be some type of silver piping if they were for officers. We have only seen a few others of these on the market, and they seem to be quite rare, Especially in this excellent condition. The overseas cap, nicknamed in German military slang as "Schiffchen", or literally "little ship" as it resembled an up-turned row-boat, was standard issue for the Luftwaffe for most occasions.

The cap is constructed of the correct Luftwaffe black HBT fabric for a mechanics cap, similar to the "drillich" style material utilized by all branches of the Wehrmacht. There is a lovely silver white embroidered eagle on the front, which has the correct black background, but there is no cockade, which matches other examples we have seen. It features a black brushed cotton lining, which shows little to no wear. The lining bears lots of issue markings, including the original manufacture information inside a rectangle over the size and date:

Carl Halfar
Berlin N 20
Prinzenallee 74
56 ½
Apr. 1938

There is another marking in yellow below this, which we unfortunately cannot make out. To the right is a unit marking reading KfSL Rud., which we have not been able to identify, but most likely the "Kf" is for Kraftfahr (Motor Vehicle) or something similar. This is exactly what we would expect to see inside a Luftwaffe Mechanics cap. Condition is really excellent, with just a bit of age toning to the insignia, and no real wear.

Ready to research and display!

Side Cap
A side cap is a military cap that can be folded flat when not being worn. It is also known as a garrison cap or flight cap in the United States, wedge cap in Canada, or field service cap in the United Kingdom. In form the side cap is comparable to the glengarry, a folding version of the Scottish military bonnet. It has been associated with various military forces since the middle of the 19th century, as well as various civilian organizations.