WWII GERMAN GENERAL’S UNIFORM COAT, PANTS & BELT BELONGING TO GENERAL HANS VON SALMUTH ALONG WITH HIS PROMOTION DOCUMENT TO GENERALLEUTNANT.

WWII GERMAN GENERAL’S UNIFORM COAT, PANTS & BELT BELONGING TO GENERAL HANS VON SALMUTH ALONG WITH HIS PROMOTION DOCUMENT TO GENERALLEUTNANT.

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Uniform coat is a very fine, sage green wool gabardine with 8 gilded brass pebble finished buttons down the front, 2 at the tails & 1 on each pocket. The front of the coat is completely piped in red. There are 6 loops to support a medal bar above the left breast pocket. There are 3 additional pairs of loops on or below the left pocket. The right pocket has 3 loops both on & below the pocket. The shoulder boards are woven silver & gold bullion cords backed in bright red, each with 3 lg. silver pips. Buttons are gilded brass with a pebbled finish. The dark green wool collar has gold bullion embroidered general’s collar tabs on red. There is a high relief gold bullion Army eagle above the right breast pocket. The lining of the uniform is a sage green rayon & the sleeves are lined with white rayon. There is a label sewn below the collar that has become illegible due to wear. There is a slit for a dagger/sword hanger. The inside of the interior left breast pocket has a tag that reads, “AVERBECK & BROSKAMP BERLIN W.8 HERR [Oberst v. Salmuth](written in ink) Nr. [3049](written in ink) den [Juli](written in ink) 193[6](written in ink)”.

The riding style uniform pants are a similar sage green wool gabardine piped in red on the side. The piping is flanked by 1 1/4″ red wool stripes down each side. There are 2 slash pockets in the front & 1 flap pocket in the rear. There are zipper closures at the calf. The fly is closed with 3 buttons & the waistband is secured with a single button. The interior is lined with putty colored rayon & the pocket bags are dark khaki cotton. A promotion document promoting Hans von Salmuth from Generalmajor to Generalleutnant is included with this group. The promotion was effective August 1, 1939 & the document is dated July 31, 1939. The document bears the signature of Adolf Hitler & was countersigned by General Walther von Brauchitsch & is housed in its original paper folder embossed with a gold German eagle. The uniform further includes a brown leather officer’s belt with a 2 tongue, pebbled finished gilded brass buckle & high grade, period black leather German boots that have a partially visible interior label that reads, “MEISTERLICH SEBAUT”.

General Hans von Salmuth was born in 1888 & joined the German Army in 1907. He served during WWI & during the Weimar Republic era. He was Chief of Staff of the 2nd Corps from 1934 to 1937 when he was assigned as Chief of Staff to the 1st Army Group. In 1938 he was moved to Chief of Staff to the 2nd Army Group and in 1939 became Chief of Staff of Army Group North during the Invasion of Poland. He held several other positions throughout the Army & early in 1943 was advanced to Generaloberst, the second highest officer rank in the Wehrmacht. He served in Russia for which he would later face a war crimes trial. In the summer of 1943, he was reassigned to command the 15th Army defending against the upcoming allied invasion. He was relieved of his command after the disintegration of the German defenses.

PROVENANCE: Lifetime Collection of Dennis Ottaway.