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The
German Issue & Private-Purchase Combs
By
Vincent Milano
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The
following was taken from the Die Neue Feldpost newsletter
& was done so with permission of the publisher.
We would like to thank him for his generosity as well
as thank all those who have contributed to this
article. It is with their efforts, we are able
to share this valuable research with the rest of you.
Part of
the soldier's initial issue, charged back to him as
was many of his toiletry items if he did not already
possess them, was a small comb. This comb was
necessary since the regulations allowed hair to be
worn long on the top while shorn at the sides, known
in the U.S. as "Whitewalls".
The comb
that was available from unit stores and the canteen
came in two versions: one in aluminum and the other in
plastic/bakelite. The last comb was of standard
design and was divided into one half each, standard
and fine teeth. These combs are almost identical
to the inexpensive small black combs available in
several stores today.
The
plastic/bakelite version seems to have been by far the
most common and came in several colors. The most
widely used color was orange, the same shade as the
lard containers of that color. And like the lard
boxes, the other colors used were white, brown (like
the field telephone cases), and black. Tan was
also said to have been used but this author has not
yet come across one in this color.
These
items were made by several small firms and as a result
some are molded with company names and logos while
others are plain. None have Waffenamt stampings
or R.B. numbers. Inquiries to the Mil.Ges.Forsch.Amt
/ Freiburg resulted in the following letter dated
21.June, 1983:
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Price per comb was set at 3 Pfennig
2. If
the enlistee/draftee did not possess a
personal comb, then one would be issued and
charged to his first month's pay among other
toiletries.
3.
Production of this item was halted in 1943
since vast stockpiles existed which included
confiscated ones from other nations and
civilian sources.
4. It
was not an accountable item, therefore no
entry was required in the Soldbuch.
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Another
type of comb issued and used, but not very popular
with the soldiers was the "horse comb".
This comb was longer than the style illustrated here
and appears to be a very crude casting. The
edges are rough and there is a lot of
"flash" left on the parting line. Like
the one pictured, the "horse comb" we
examined has a triangular maker's logo, but it is
illegible. There were also bakelite versions the
same size as the "horse comb".
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