A Waffen-SS tunic for sale. The four-pocket, Waffen-SS Standartenführer tunic with closed dark green collar, pleated top pockets, and slashed lower pockets. The SS tunic made from premium quality field grey wool gabardine,  by the highly respected tailors, Holters, Berlin. The Waffen-SS tunic with a dark green collar with four holes, (for mounting removeable collar patches), sewn to each.

The Waffen-SS tunic with  standard French cuffs. The back to the tunic in  typical 'Allgemeine-style'. The tunic is lined in grey-brown silk, with tailor-stripe lining to the sleeves.

Particularly high quality tailoring to the lining, with very fine machine stitches running at diagonals, presenting an aesthetically-pleasing design, while simultaneously re-inforcing the lining.

A field-grey silk Wilhelm Holters tailors label is machine-sewn to the top centre of the lining. An additonal Wilhelm Holters label which bears the owner's name 'Gustav Lombard' is stitched to the inner-pocket (see notes below).

The Waffen-SS tunic insignia includes a matched-pair of third-pattern, SS-Standartenführer collar patches. The collar patch insignia with silver-aluminium wire, single-oakleaves on black velvet and  silver-aluminium  piping.

The collar patches with four screw-posts to each for fitting and removal from the tunic. The collar patches with an 'F-'rated SS RZM  paper-stores label. The tunic retains a matched pair of SS-Standartenführer epaulettes; the epaulette insignia with two gilt pips on entwined, silver-braids, to a yellow wool piping and black base.

To the left sleeve, a fine-quality SS officer eagle & swastika. To the left sleeve, signs of a cuff title worn above the French cuff.

The tunic has various loops for awards, including a long ribbon bar, three breast badges, and also loops for a German Cross. The standard, pebble, aluminium buttons are all matching, and bear the 'Extra Fein' designation to the reverse. To the inside collar, five, silver metal clips for holding a detachable collar.

Condition report: The Waffen-SS tunic in overall very good to excellent condition. Showing just light wear overall. One moth hole present just above the left French cuff. The tunic insignia in clean condition, some light oxidation present to the collar patches and sleeve eagle.

Background to Gustav Lombard: Born 10th April 1895. Died 17th September 1992. Lombard, a passionate horseman, joined the SS Totenkopf Cavalry unit in 1940. In February 1943 he was awarded the German Cross in Gold, and a month later was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. Lombard was captured by the Soviets at the end of the war, and  finally released in October 1955.

Hermann Fegelein and Gustav Lombard are the two prominent names associated with the developement of cavalry units in the Waffen-SS.

Additional notes on the Waffen-SS tunic and the Lombard attribution: There are anomolies with this tunic which require further research. Under scrutiny, both the Holters silk label, and the Holters name label have been tailored into the linings at the point of manufacture. The name label gives a tailors date of September 1940, and Lombard's rank as SS-Hauptsturmführer, which is correct.

Although the collar patches and epaulettes are for Lombard's later rank of SS-Standartenführer, it was quite normal for tunics to be upgraded during promotions. However, the epaulettes have a branch-colour of lemon-yellow (signals), as opposed  to the deep-yellow for cavalry. It possible, a tailor, (or Lombard ), not having a pair of deep-yellow piped epaulettes, used epaulettes in a similar colour (lemon-yellow). Alternatively, the epaulettes may have been replaced  post-war.

Provenance: the tunic was for sale within an Edinburgh-based bric-a-brack shop in the 1990s, and purchased by a non-specialist collector for a relatively small sum. In the early 2000s, another Scottish-based collector  purchased the tunic. More recently, the Scottish-based collector  consigned the tunic for sale with Ulric of England.

Additional notes: The Waffen-SS tunic is offered for sale - and purchased, on the following basis: the tunic is an original pre-1945 manufacture SS-style tunic, of particularly high quality (typical of  Wilhelm Holters). All the insignia is original, pre-1945 manufacture. Ulric of England has not established if the tunic-insignia was replaced post-war. Further research, and subsequent conclusions,  associated with the tunic and the tunic-insignia, are the responsibility of the buyer.

The sale price being commensurate with the above caveats.