M44 Wool Uniform

Ill dig the sources out later and post them am busy atm so heres a brief jist of what I know (I looked into it lots as I've got the M44 Jacket an trews

A)Theres a website that discusses the M44 jacket in more detail. Off the top of my head it was used by GD in trails in I think it was June/July 1943 I'll have to read and check that though and that GD were the guys deemed suitable enough to give it a full road testing (hence my loadout is that jacket with GD titles) before it was issued into those in the field, was seen as a late war money saving option and designed as such purely as required less fabric than the traditional styling of the M36 jacket.
B)By the same people that made the previous uniforms but the name of the company eludes me at the moment (think there were 2 actually) I think one of the companies still makes uniforms for the German military today, though my memory is foggy (can blame Mr Pimms )
C)I don't know if there are any figures about that states the total number that were produced and they were only issued to those needing new jackets at the end of the war mostly (ie 44 onwards) so they weren't as common place as you may think as previous jackets were still in use whilst stocks of them were used up.
D Issued as said above first to GD for trials then a staggered introduction to men WH during 44 but only as said to those needing new jackets, due to fabric availability men were only given the new jacket if totally necs, I never found any info on their use in the Eastern front, but there are many pictures to be found of the odd soldat wearing them on the Western front and in occupied countries.
E) was given to those needing jackets but as said remember there were still stocks of M36 jackets and those were used still for new recruits as they were the dress jacket as well as field, the M44 is designed as a field jacket foremost and a cost saving exersize, so I assume if they were given to noobs there would be far more pictures of them being worn than there are .... but I don't know that its a guess.

Oh and yes I love my kit, I picked the uniform for 3 reasons 1) am awkward and wanted to be different and 2) the M36 jacket looks ridiculous on my frame (they weren't designed for females )
3) Just cos I loikes it

As said I'll post later with some more accurate details cos it means digging a couple of books out and going through my vast list of favs to find the links, but I will post again

And I love that first pic that has been saved to my lil album on my pc for future reference

Oh and just cos I can pmsl heres a pic of my jacket

ok heres a start, normally I'd say google but I know what an arse on I had when I was researching the M44 and I did weeks on end looking and scouring books and the net before I took the plunge (che will confirm )

OK so heres a start there will be more

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... e63a57f174 easier to check this post yourself

The "official" colour of the M44 uniform was to be "olive brown" and this was due largely to the huge number of pulped Russian uniforms included in the reconstituted cloth. As already mentioned, the colour variation was there and ranged from feldgau proper through to steingrau. The first units to trail this uniform were17 & 73 Inf Divs. 78 SturmDivision 28 & 104 Jaegerdivisions 2 Mountain Rifle Div 16 Panzer Div and Ersatzbrigade Grossdeutschland (Mot Inf) They uniforms were issued in the Summer of 43

The official approval was given form them on 8 Jul 1944 and deliver started 7 weeks later. Hope this info is of use when determining if, who and when you ought to wear 44 kit.

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 451a67cec0

The M1944 field blouse (right) was a radical departure in appearance for the German soldier. The color was now olive brown or "1944 field gray" however, many continued to be made in the earlier bluish green shades of field gray or slate gray. The four belt hooks were reduced to two, with one on each side as on the summer uniform feldbluse, or elimimanted altogether. The jacket had two large unpleated breast pockets and closely resembled British battle dress. Like battle dress, this uniform was a design dictated by the need to economize in materials and production time. The importance of this can be seen when it is understood that the earlier uniform jackets required up to 73 pieces for assembly. This field blouse, and the trousers that came with it, were tested by several divisions including the elite Grossdeutschland in 1943. The GD troops were very enthusiastic and considered the design smart and snappy. The design was approved and adopted for all German ground forces, including the Waffen-SS and Luftwaffe ground troops, in July of 1944. A new triangular breast eagle was also introduced with the M44 uniform, but many photos show the early model continuing in use, either sewn the traditional way, or with the backing folded into a triangle.

http://www.lostbattalions.com

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... def64e6a5c you'll note the pic on here is the same as the one you posted but colourised

and some more pmsl (I'm only on second in list in favs and haven't got to books yet )

Felduniform 44
In September, 1944, the new Field Uniform 44 was introduced. The Field Blouse for this new uniform was remarkably similar to the US "Ike" jacket, itself inspired by British Battle Dress. The new uniform, made from shoddy recycled wool, had two patch pockets on the breast, and a broad 10 cm waistband in place of a tunic skirt. The pockets, lapels and sleeve cuffs remained styled after the latest patterns of Field Blouse.
As can be seen on the other pages regarding insignia, the quality of such additions as shoulder straps, breast eagles, and collar patches all degraded during the war. Above, is an early war "M36" style tunic with dark green collar, dark green shoulder boards, BEVO breast eagle and green backed "second pattern" collar patches. This is in stark contrast to the "M44" field blouse shown below, made of a gabardine-like twill rather than wool, with third pattern collar patches, field grey shoulder boards, and the final pattern mouse-grey coloured breast eagle. Note the uniform buttons, also, are in field grey above, and the dark grey used on late-war uniforms below.
It should be noted that while garments released from the factory were usually fitted with whatever insignia was on hand, there was no "correct" pattern or type of insignia for any German field blouse (including the 1944 Field Uniform). Soldiers were permitted, on an individual basis, to apply older patterns of insignia to their newly issued uniform garments. Some soldiers even changed the collars on so called "M42" and "M43" field blouses to dark green, months and even years after all newly made blouses from the factory ceased having dark green collars. There were no standards for "uniformity' with regards to these details in the German Army, and most late-war photos show a motley array of dark-green and field grey shoulder straps, mixtures of national insignia breast eagles, and varieties of the three types of collar patches, both backed and unbacked.

http://www.deutschesoldaten.com/ couple of pix on there too

And a couple more links you can read yourself you'll have to search them for the info though pmsl I think I been generous enough above

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/index.php

http://www.ww2f.com/

http://forum.axishistory.com/ theres alsorts on here besides the above

Google as they say is your friend if I get chance later I'll dig a couple of books out ..... maybes lol

Brian L Davies, German Army uniforms and insignia
pg 128, 3.13 The Model 1944 Field Blouse

edited to add theres a bit in the back of the osprey book The German Army, 1939-45 (5) Western Front

Ah thank you! More than sufficient for my purposes, and I did check Wehrmacht Awards before, but not Axis History.