GERMAN M43 DRILLICH TUNIC MAKER MARKED ORIGINAL

This is an original M43 field tunic made from HBT linen or Drillich Summer Field Blouse (Feldbluse).   The jacket is size 36 chest and is maker marked:  Hecker & Weiss Stuttgart (HRA 2904).  Comes with the original machine applied insignia:  Heer bevo breast eagle and the enlisted man, EM bevo collar tabs.  Also has the original lemon yellow, Signals, shoulder boards. 

Typical green HBT (herring bone twill) cloth. All buttons are present.   The jacket has been worn  but is in mint condition except there is what looks to be a blood stain on the inside of the right pocket (see image). 

The field blouse has four pockets with straight flaps and field-grey finished, pebbled metal buttons. There is a six-button front closure using the same type of buttons. There is a flat collar with a metal hook and loop neck closure. The tunic has buttons and loops for slip-on shoulder boards.  The interior is unlined, with tan/grey coloured cotton used for reinforcements at the seams and the small bandage pocket. 

The jacket comes from our personal collection.  It was originally bought in France about 15 years ago.

The field blouse is in mint except the “red” stain as mentioned. 

Stunning original late war 'Drillich' Summer field blouse!

The Signal Corps (Nachrichtentruppe des Heeres) was an arm of service in the German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS, whose role was to establish and operate military communications, especially using telephone and radio networks.

By order of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht dated 14 Oct 1942, it was part of the combat arms of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS until 1945.

At the start of the war the Signal Corps had:

• 104 divisional signal units with a headquarters, telephone company, radio company and light supply column
• 23 corps signal units with a telephone company, radio company, two telephone and radio companies and a light supply column
• 10 signal regiments and 12 field signal commands at army and army group level with HQs, a 1st (Operating) Unit (I. Abteilung (Betrieb)) with a telephone and a radio company, as well as a 2nd and 3rd (Construction) Unit (II. und III. Abteilung (Bau)) each with an operating and three construction companies
• 7 surveillance companies for communications surveillance
• 45 independent truck cable construction, telephone operating and telephone construction companies;
• 14 signal reserve units

As more large formations were created during the war, numerous new and reserve units were established including independent signal companies or special units, among them the wire construction companies, decimetre band (i.e. UHF) radio relay companies, carrier frequency companies, telephone exchange companies and telephone maintenance companies.