Waffen-SS field tunic to SS-Oberscharführer Siegfried Klosterhuber serving with 2./Pionier-Bataillon SS-Totenkopf-Division and II./SS-Totenkopf Panzer-Regiment 3. He started serving as a Pionier straight from the beginning. His ID tag shows "2./SS.T.Pi.Btl" as noted in his Soldbuch which is part of a collection of one of our customers. Please see next lot for his original award documents.

Klosterhuber was awarded the 1939 Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the General Assault Badge, the Wound Badge in silver, 2 Tank Destruction Badges as well as the Austria and Sudetenland Medal and a Long Service Award.

The tunic was sold around 35-40 years ago by the widow of Klosterhuber to our consignor. It was never available on the market before! The tunic is confirmed by his period time Soldbuch picture. Many details proof that it is exactly the same tunic!

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M43 Waffen-SS field tunic with full insignia. "SS-BW" depot marked as well as size stamped to the lining which is constructed from linen and silk. The tunic is a typical "2-hole" pattern as only issued to SS troops. It was period time modified by adding vertical bars to all pockets making the tunic to look like a more elegant M41 tunic. 

The tunic does not show too much wear which explains that all originally attached buttons come with nearly full factory paint. It could have been his 2nd field tunic which stayed at home.

The shoulder boards textbook blacked piped Waffen-SS boards. EM types with machine-attached NCO tress. Zinc number "3" cypher to one board. The other cypher missing. Zinc rank pips.
A compass inside the right upper pocket attached to a leather cord which is connected to the slip-on shoulder board.

A matching pair of collar tabs attached by hand. In addition, the silver machine-attached NCO tress fixes the tabs to the collar at one point. So a few cm of both tabs are actually secured by machine. The rune tab is a hand-stiched officer's type. The rank tab shows two zinc large size rank pips for an SS-Oberscharführer.

The sleeve eagle is a machine-embroidered type which was period time attached by machine. 

Klosterhuber preferred a more elegant look of this tunic which is why he had modified it as follows:

- a more elegant collar finished with dark green cloth was added
- he preferred a silver hand-stiched officer's rank tab
- he preferred an officer's type of cuff title
- vertical bars added to the pockets
- shoulder pats added to the inside

All these modifications make this tunic very elegant!

What makes this tunic unique are his Tank Destruction Badges! Both were privately period time manufactured by a tailor! Original silver stripes were taken adding black Pionier piping to the top and bottom. The tanks are both entirely hand-stitched! Both badges are period time attached by hand and show some minor corrosion.

Hand-embroidered officer's cuff title with a hand-embroidered skull. Period time attached by hand. Clear signs of wear.

Three pair of award loops to the left breast pocket. A "107" marked Wound Badge in silver is still attached. Inside the pocket were two unmarked 1939 Iron Crosses 2nd Class. Another set of award loops is holding a four-place ribbon bar. The ribbon bar is well worn not really matching the condition of this tunic. It is likely that it was added after the war by him. He must have been worn it with another tunic.

The Iron Cross ribbon is attached by hand and in unworn condition.

Medium size. Only one small moth hole to one of the sleeves!