Is this sidecap NPEA or WE-Lager?

Joe B

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I bought this cap from The Ruptured Duck . I know that this cap was issued to the German pre-military training camps (WE-lager)but not sure if the NPEA wore it. It was listed as an NPEA cap .

Here is their description :

Scarce NPEA Field Cap (Overseas Cap) from the Ed Stadnicki Collection
A rarely encountered piece of headgear, this lightweight cap is made of a fine-ribbed cotton fabric in a pale bluish-grey color – though fading over time coupled with soiling give it an overall “washed out” appearance, with some tan tones. Other than this, the boat shaped cap (i.e. Schiffchen) is in very sound condition and complete with a small stubby-winged NPEA eagle insignia, machine embroidered on a very closely trimmed black backing, and applied to the cap front above the skirt edge. The bird is in very nice condition, without any excessive wear. The vertical center seam on the narrow skirt front appears to have been split at one point, and possibly repaired – traces of stitches with black thread are slightly visible. The cap interior is lined in a light grey cotton twill fabric. This is yellowed a bit and lightly soiled around the lower half, from honest wear. There is a vertical cloth fin running fore to aft along the top interior, this representing the interior shape created by the “V” shaped centerline of the cap’s exterior top. The left side of the fin is black ink stamped on the left side (within a thread-outlined box), “56” (size) and with the area identification: “Gebietsführerschaft ….Neustadt-Glewe” (“area leadership….Neustadt-Glewe” – this town was in the area of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in Northeastern Germany). A very cool and rarely ever seen piece of headgear!
$650.00

As you can clearly tell , their was once a pin atached to the cap below the embroidered eagle . I plan to use an HJ pin but I`m wondering if an NSDAP cockade should be utilized .

Opinions please .

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More photos

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congratulations on your new purchase.This type of field cap did not wear a "Reichskokarde". The pupils of NPEA schools wore only this field cap in military drill. It's a pity that the label of origin disappeared. We still see the circumference
 
A nice cap Joe. It's been on the site forever. I hope you were able to negotiate a little on it.

Darin,

This cap is stayed for a long time on the Web site because collectors had doubts about its origin.
I'm sure if there was had a label "NPEA", the cap would have been sold very quickly....!
 
I have never had doubts on this caps originality ,however; my conserns are if the cap was NPEA or WE lager . The clue would be the stamp that states "Gebietsführerschaft ….Neustadt-Glewe” . Can anybody give information from this ?
 
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There was a Gebietsführerschule at Neustadt near Glewe (south of Schwerin) in the "Nord-Mecklenburg"-district.
In 1936 a Gebietsführerschule was named "Gerhard Wittenburg" and was formerly located at Kapheim near
Gross-Lindau in the "Ost-Ostland"-district when the Mecklenburg-district did not exist. If this were the same I do not know.
Maybe Garry can give us data!
As far as I know the school at Neustadt was not a Wehrertüchtigungslager, as the WEL I and WEL II in this district were both
located at Waren (east of Schwerin).

These field-caps were not only in use at WEL, NPEA or the Militäir-Waisenhaus, but also used with the drill-dress (Geländeanzug)
at the Gebietsführerschule! There is a photograph in my album about the Waisenhaus where three guys do wear a field-cap as shown
with their drill dress.

Stadnicki had in his days one of the best political uniform collections. We both had quite some contact. Great guy, which is missed
very much!!
 
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Is this cap the same as on this photo?

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I don't think so, as the material is a coarser wool, matching to the material for his tunic!
What he wears is the service-dress (Dienstanzug), which in fact is the walking-out dress (Ausgehanzug),
the dress for events and special occasions. So, largely worn out-doors.
Great photograph, that's for sure!
 
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here's another one!. these photos from my collection show a pupil from the NPEA Naumburg
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I don't think so, as the material is a coarser wool, matching to the material for his tunic!
What he wears is the service-dress (Dienstanzug), which in fact is the walking-out dress (Ausgehanzug),
the dress for events and special occasions. So, largely worn out-doors.
Great photograph, that's for sure!

Maybe this one ?

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Hello Lauri,

the pattern that you show is very early and it is wool. This cap was worn from 1935 until 1937.

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Yes, Lauri. That's the cap I mean. Since about mid-1937 the regular HJ
light-brown field-cap was in use with white piping. As in that year the
dresses for the NPEA were newly arranged. The wool cap was already worn
in the course of 1934 (anyway at some institutions, as the Waisenhaus where
it was a common headdress in 1935 and later years). In 1939 the form of cap
at the Waisenhaus changed into a two-color cap.

The drill uniform cap was not piped, as far as I know. I have not ever read
about it!
 
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Hello Eric,

Ok I see. Another great photo! Is a SA buckle on the boy at the left?

Thanks also to Wim for his explanation :)
 
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