1) Luftwaffe M43 Field Cap is constructed from lightweight blue/gray twill cloth as opposed to the more common wool. This appears to be an Italian manufactured private purchased version of the M43 field cap. A multitude of Italian firms from small to large made equipment and insignia for the Germans. As German forces were pushed North these same firms converted to American equipment, and for those units in Italy from Air Force insignia to ground forces from para to OSS. The eagle and cockade are two piece machine stitched construction, with the backings roughly hand-cut and then machine stitched to the cap (note: stitching does not penetrate the inner lining), with the bottom of the eagle patch overlaying the top of the cockade patch. The interior is lined with a bright blue herringbone twill, with a small size tag marked "59" in the back and a full diameter leatherette sweatband. 2) Luftwaffe Officers M43 Field Cap appears to be Italian manufactured and is constructed from dark blue/gray wool. This cap features a line of yellow plastic wire piping around the crown, a design accent traditionally reserved for general-ranked officers. A machine-stitched trapezoidal "Luftwaffe eagle/cockade" patch is zig-zag stitched to the body, with a pair of blue/gray painted alloy buttons on the functional earflaps. The gray rayon interior is marked "56" inside the crown, with a faint marking on the brown leather forehead sweatband.

1) Very good. The exterior shows a few thin spots and stains, with the stitching being solid overall. The stiffening material in the visor has cracked in the middle, and the sweatband shows a number of tears. The lining shows nearly zero staining. 2) Very good. The exterior shows a few thin spots in the wool and some fading of the piping, along with some light stains and handling marks. Heavier staining is present on the interior, especially around the base, with the sweat band solidly attached and showing some light folding.