GERMAN PANZER MAJOR’S PIPED FIELD SERVICE TUNIC, KNIGHTS CROSS AND OAK LEAVES WINNER.

An exceptional and fully attributed German Panzer officers walking out tunic, known amongst collectors as the piped field service. Tailor made by the prestigious tailoring company in Berlin, Holters, the ‘Holters’ silk woven label to the inner upper collar area in black and gold with a further name tag label also headed with the name of ‘Holters’ to the inside pocket. Named to ‘Oberstleutnant Hans Engelien’ who was a recipient of the Knights Cross and Oak Leaves. A textbook example of a privately purchased officers tunic constructed in fine field grey cloth with high quality tailoring throughout. Standard field grey officers quality cloth, a set of pink based Majors shoulder boards with a gilt gothic ‘S’ for school with number ‘3’ below indicating the 3rd Armoured School. Standard dark green collar, four pockets with pleats and flaps, pink piped collar, pink piped front two skirts of tunic, pink underlay to the walking out quality bullion wire collar patches, pink piped deep turned back cuffs. Nice high quality army officers breast eagle fitted with silver bullion wire on dark green backing cloth. A six section row of loops for a long medal ribbon bar to the upper right hand breast. The original Knights Cross neck ribbon loops inside the collar. The correct award loops to the chest with loops for his German Cross in gold, interestingly with clear evidence of having replaced this with a cloth example with the stitching still evident inside the tunic. Excellent condition consistence with walking out wear, there is one moth hole on the inside lower cuff with a slight stain above and one small moth hole where the right sleeve joins the main body of the tunic. There is minor mothing where the right vertical seam of the tunic is sheltered by the right sleeve and a small nick where the left sleeve attaches to the tunic. To the interior the lining in a fine silk or rayon, there is one inside pocket with Engelein’s details on the label and provision for a dagger strap to be attached to the waistbelt. Hans Engelein, 1913 to 1945 was awarded the Knights Cross on the 12th August 1944 for actions with Panzer-Aufklarungs-Abteilung 12 and the Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross on the 16th March 1945 as Commander of Panzer Grenadier Regiment 25 during the Courland Battle. He was noted as missing in action near Libau in May 1945. Named uniforms to Knights Cross recipients are scarce and examples to Oak Leaves recipients with intact tailor labels are exceptionally rare and seldom offered on the open market. Engelein served in the Polish and French campaigns and the Defensive battles of the Courland pocket in 1944 /45. Further in-depth reading of his career is available on the internet. As well as the German Cross in Gold and the Knights Cross and Oak leaves he was also awarded the Honour Roll Clasp for the Army, awarded 7th April 1944. More extensive, extra images can be seen on our new Premium website, type in regimentalsmilitaria.co.uk in to your web browser.

Code: 96123