Light weight ribbed khaki/olive cotton twill construction field blouse features a vertical six button front closure with small opened fold back peak lapels and a lay down collar. The field blouse has four pleated front pockets with straight edged button down flaps. Breast eagle panzer collar tabs are also present. Cufftitle is machine woven and features a horizontal dark green cotton center stripe with diagonally ribbed horizontal bright silver/aluminum flat-wire edge trim and narrow horizontal tan rayon borders to both the top and bottom edges. The dark green center stripe features machine woven block Latin script, "Afrikakorps" in bright silver/aluminum flat-wire threads. This cufftitle is certainly period to the coat. Nice size and depot markings to the interior of the coat. Buttons are originals and have the original s-rings. Size 88cm (36") chest. Excellent. In late 1940, with the impending German entrance into the North African campaign, tropical uniforms and equipment were quickly developed and issued in time for DAK, Deutsches Afrika Korps, (German Africa Corps), personnel’s arrival in Tripoli in February 1941. Eventually these tropical uniforms would be issued to personnel serving in southern areas of continental Europe. The design of the tropical issued uniforms essentially adhered to the pattern of the field-grey continental uniforms, although in a different color and material, and also followed the same basic war time modifications. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the army’s Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their uniforms from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase garments of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored uniforms although the price may have been restrictive. Although Officer’s were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms it seems the majority of the tropical field blouses were issued from the military clothing depots as opposed to private purchase and as a result Officers quite often wore the same field blouses as the EM/NCO’s with the addition of Officer’s insignia.