Germany, Heer. An Artillery EM/NCO’s Service Tunic by Otto Meis

(Heer Artillerie Waffenrock). A Heer Artillery EM/NCO’s service tunic constructed of field-grey wool. The tunic features a smooth forest-green wool collar, fully trimmed with red piping. The collar is flanked by tabs, each constructed of red wool and bearing dual machine-embroidered silver aluminum wire insignia, both measuring 38 mm (w) x 76 mm (l). Each shoulder bears a strap constructed of forest-green wool, trimmed with red piping, and bearing a red machine-embroidered number “52”. The straps both measure 45 mm (w) x 100 mm (l) and are held in place by machine stitching at the outer edge and by a pebbled aluminum button on the inner edge. Both buttons are maker marked on the reverse with “A & S” for F.W. Assmann & Söhne, Lüdenscheid. The cuff of each sleeve is constructed of forest-green wool and rolled up to a depth of 70 mm, held in place by machine stitching around the circumference. Each cuff is trimmed with red piping and bears dual red wool rectangular patches, each in turn overlaid with a machine-embroidered silver aluminum wire insignia. Stitched onto the upper right breast flap is an insignia in the form of a machine-embroidered silver aluminum wire Wehrmacht eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika, set on a forest-green rayon backer and measuring 100 mm (w) x 48 mm (h). The upper left breast pocket retains five horizontally-arranged threaded loops formerly accommodating a ribbon bar. The tunic is closed with eight vertically-arrange buttons on the right flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap. The exterior features complete with a vertical slit at the reverse, trimmed with red piping, topped by dual pebbled aluminum belt hooks, and flanked by four pebbled aluminum buttons. The interior of the tunic features a complete olive-grab rayon liner, with a maker’s mark at the upper left breast reading “OTTO MEIS, ERFURT”, with size stamps “94, 42, 42, 82, 64, E38”. The interior has a single pocket, also located at the upper left breast and opening with a reinforced horizontal flap. The interior features complete with a detachable grey cotton twill sweat guard attached to the tunic with five snap buttons, as well as with a bronze hook on the right meeting a loop of identical construction on the left, facilitating a flush fit with the wearer’s neck. The tunic measures approximately 480 mm across the shoulders, with an arm length of 585 mm and an overall body length of 635 mm. The tunic demonstrates a number of issues consisting with age and use, including replacement of all insignia and buttons with period correct examples, minor material fatigue to the exterior wool, and material fatigue and soiling of the interior liner. It is in an overall very fine condition.