Germany, Ordungspolizei. A Gendarmerie Hauptwachtmeister Tunic

(Gendarmerie Waffenrock). This is an extremely well-preserved Ordnungspolizei Gendarmerie tunic, constructed of a police-green wool exterior with a light-green cotton-blended interior lining. The breasts of the jacket are closed with eight reinforced buttonholes meeting an equal number of pebbled, silver-coloured metallic buttons, stamped on the reverse with “O. & Cie.” (Overhoff & Cie, Lüdenscheid). A 1939 Iron Cross ribbon is sewn through the top buttonhole. The tunic bears four breast pockets, with two on each side, all with reinforced buttonholes and pebbled, silvered zink buttons. The collar, constructed of brown wool, is neatly lined with orange woven piping that continues down the length of the breast flap. The inside right collar has two metal hooks meeting an equal number of metal loops on the left allowing the collar to sit flush with the neck. The collar is flanked by tabs composed of orange-coloured wool base, bordered by twisted silver aluminum bullion wire, bearing machine-embroidered twisted silver aluminum bullion wire columns, measuring 35 mm (w) x 70 mm (h). Shoulder boards rest on each shoulder, constructed of two rows of brown embroidered cord flanked by two rows of fine aluminum wire interlaced with brown threading, all wrapped in a U-shape chevron formation, finished with reinforced button holes over pebbled buttons on an orange-coloured wool backer and two silver pips indicating the rank of Hauptwachtmeister of the Gendarmerie, measuring 35 mm (w) x 110 mm (h).

The left upper arm bears a sleeve insignia in the form of a standard police-style German national eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika machine-embroidered in gold-coloured thread within a larger oval wreath, all sewn onto a field-grey backing, measuring 90 mm (w) x 95 mm (h). At the end of each sleeve is a brown cuff measuring approximately 95 mm, bordered by orange thread, and adorned by two pebbled, silvere zink buttons. Striped off-white rayon-blended material lines the interior of the sleeves. The interior of the tunic contains a pocket on the upper left breast along with a reinforced slit that opens into the left waist pocket. The tunic measures approximately 500 mm at the shoulders, 770 mm in the arms, with an overall length of 640 mm. There is minor material fatigue from wear, but the tunic is in an otherwise extremely fine condition.