Panzer visor cap for sale  made by Erel.

Erel's premium, ‘Privat’ class. Belonged to Westermann of Pz.Abt.65

The visor cap in fine, light field-grey  doeskin, with pink piping and dark green cap band. The cap retaining the aluminium eagle & swastika, aluminium oakleaves with silvered Erel ventilated cockade, and black, patent-leather chinstrap. The visor cap lined with peppermint green silk, with  a celluloid diamond bearing the full ‘Freundlich Erel' Privat Klasse silver-blocking to the crown and a tag confirming the name and Panzer-Abteilung 65 unit:

‘Pz = Schütze Westermann – 1./Pz.Abt.65’.

The sweatband in light brown leather, with ventilated front, and silver-blocked Erel marker-mark patent to the side.

Condition report: The Panzer peak visor cap in excellent condition. The exterior free from any moth or damage. The pile intact to the wool doeskin crown. The pink piping clean and fresh. The badge insignia clean and fresh (typical age patina to the silvered cockade).

The lining to the peak visor cap shows just light use and the celluloid diamond is intact, free from splits. The silver-Erel blocking perfect and clear. The leather sweatband supple and showing just light use.

Historical background to 1^st Company/Panzer-Abteilung 65: The elite Panzer-Abteilung 65 was created in October 1937 as a fully mechanised unit. It included mechanised reconnaissance units, motorised infantry, and a tank battalion.

In 1938 the unit was enlarged and became the 1st Light Division. The unit was instrumental in the invasion of the Sudetenland, and Poland. In October 1939 the 1st Light Division was re-designated the 6th Panzer Division, to which Panzer-Abteilung 65 were an integral part.

On 10^th May 1940, the unit took part in the invasion of France as part of Panzergruppe Guderian, where Panzer-Abteilung 65 took a decisive roll in attacking through the Ardennes and encircling the Allied forces in Belgium. After the successful campaign in the West, the 6th Panzer Division moved to East Prussia for refitting, in preparation for the coming offensive against the Soviet Union.

In June 1941 Panzer-Abteilung 65 joined Operation Barbarossa, initially fighting under Army Group North for Leningrad , but soon transferring to Army Group Centre, where they fought in the Battle of Moscow and the Rzhev-Vyazma Salient. By May 1942, the 6th Panzer Division (including Panzer-Abteilung 65) had suffered significant losses, and was withdrawn to France for rehabilitation.

The division returned to the Russian front  at the end of the year and participated in the failed attempt to relieve the Sixth Army at The Battle of Stalingrad. Thereafter it fought in the battles of Kharkov and Kursk, and the defensive battles back across the Ukraine and White Russia. In early 1945 it was used in the attempts to relieve Budapest and then driven back into Austria, where it surrendered to the Soviets at the end of the war.

Background to Panzer-Schütze Westermann: Research within German archives, or the unit’s veteran society, concerning Westermann, has not been undertaken to date.

Westermann’s peak visor cap was ordered through Erel’s Paderborn-based distributors, Freundlich. It is virtually unknown to find an Erel 'Privat' class visor cap made for privates or NCOs, as such it is likely Westermann came from a comparatively wealthy family.

In all probability, Paderborn was Westermann’s home town, and the Erel cap would have been his ‘number one’ cap for dress purposes. Based on the losses attributed to Panzer-Abteilung 65, and their surrender to the Soviets, it is possible Westermann did not return home after the war; the story of Panzerman Westermann remains open for investigation.

Provenance: The peak visor cap was purchased indirectly from the Westermann family by the German medal & militaria dealer, Detlev Niemann (late 1990s). The cap has remained in a single, private (Scandanavian) militaria collection since the late 1990s.