Location Hamburg-Harburg. Parade dress tunic as Feldwebel. Privately purchased item, manufactured 1938. The tunic in field-gray gabardine cloth with dark green collar, complete with all insignia. Metal thread hand-embroidered breast eagle on dark green cloth backing hand-sewn. The collar patches and sleeve chevrons in metal thread woven execution, sewn-in shoulder boards with metal overlays, Waffenfarbe black. On the chest small ribbon bar with the West Wall Medal, below it pinned the Infantry Assault Badge in Silver. Inside stone-gray silk lining, at the neck with woven tailor's label "A. Wolter & Söhne, Uniformen Harburg Wilhelmsburg 1", in the inner pocket with tailor's label "A. Wolter & Söhne Harburg-Wilhelmsburg" with handwritten owner designation "Uffz. Wilkens, 4.11.38". Additionally the matching stone-gray long trousers, laterally with black piping for the pioneer troops. Visor cap for non-commissioned officers, manufacturer Fa. Clemens Wagner. High elegant saddle form, production in fine cloth quality, complete with national eagle and oak leaf wreath in aluminum execution, black patent leather strap, Waffenfarbe black. Inside with stone-gray sweatband, black lining, under the celluloid diamond with gold-printed manufacturer designation "Meister-klasse C W" size approx. 58. Wehrmacht standard saber, manufacturer WKC, Solingen. Brass hilt, black Bakelite grip with silver wire wrapping, nickel-plated blade with manufacturer designation, complete with sword knot. Additionally a beautiful framed portrait photo of Feldwebel Wilkens in exactly this uniform. Furthermore a large painted oil portrait of Feldwebel Wilkens with the Infantry Assault Badge, dimensions of the painting 66 x 87 cm, lower right signed "Robert Haas 42".
The uniform ensemble only very lightly worn, in excellent condition, the saber with slight age traces.
A truly magnificent ensemble, directly from Hamburg family ownership!

Pionier-Bataillon 20. Established on October 1, 1934 as Pionier-Bataillon Sperenberg and subordinated to the 20th Infantry Division. It was established by division of the 2nd (Prussian) Pionier-Bataillon. Garrison city of the battalion was Hamburg-Harburg.

On October 15, 1935 the Pionier-Bataillon Sperenberg was renamed Pionier-Bataillon 20.

In 1938 the battalion was motorized.

Replacement came from Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 20 in Hamburg-Harburg, Wehrkreis X.

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Wehrmacht Large Uniform Ensemble of Feldwebel Wilkens in Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 20, 1st Company

This uniform ensemble belonging to Feldwebel Wilkens of Pionier-Bataillon 20, 1. Kompanie, represents the parade dress of a Wehrmacht pioneer non-commissioned officer in the pre-war period. The centerpiece is the Parade-Waffenrock, manufactured by the tailor A. Wolter & Söhne in Harburg-Wilhelmsburg and dated 4 November 1938, as confirmed by the handwritten notation in the interior pocket.

The Waffenrock was introduced in summer 1935 as the Wehrmacht Heer's parade, guard, and ceremonial uniform, replacing the earlier Dienstrock. It was modeled after the Prussian Army's 1842 equivalent and embodied the Wehrmacht's formal dress tradition. Made from fine field-grey gabardine wool, it reached to below the buttocks and was closed with eight front buttons. The characteristic dark-green collar distinguished it from the field tunic. It had no exterior pockets, but featured a rear vent to the waist with triangular pocket flaps on each rear skirt flap, each fastened with three buttons. The stone-grey silk lining and hand-sewn metal-thread embroidered breast eagle on dark-green cloth backing testify to the high craftsmanship quality.

The black Waffenfarbe (branch color) identified Wilkens as a member of the Pioniertruppen, the Army's pioneer troops. These combat engineers were considered “assault troops first and construction workers second” and were known as “schwarz Pioniere” (black pioneers) to distinguish them from infantry (white). The black branch color appeared on the metal-thread woven collar patches, sleeve chevrons, shoulder straps, and the side piping of the stone-grey trousers.

Pionier-Bataillon 20 was established on 1 October 1934 as Pionier-Bataillon Sperenberg during the Wehrmacht expansion, formed by division of the 2. (Preußisches) Pionier-Bataillon. It was renamed Pionier-Bataillon 20 on 15 October 1935. The garrison was located in Hamburg-Harburg, Wehrkreis X, and the battalion was subordinated to the 20. Infanterie-Division. Replacement troops came from Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 20 in Hamburg-Harburg.

Wilkens' uniform dates from 4 November 1938, placing it in the period between the occupation of the Sudetenland in October 1938, in which the 20. Infanterie-Division participated as part of XVI. Armeekorps, and the Poland campaign of September 1939. The decorations affixed to the breast—the Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen (West Wall Medal) and the Infanteriesturmabzeichen in Silber (Infantry Assault Badge in Silver)—testify to his continued service through at least 1939-40.

The Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen was instituted on 2 August 1939 for those who had worked on Germany's western fortifications between 15 June 1938 and 31 March 1939. On 13 November 1939, eligibility was extended to Wehrmacht servicemen who had served on the Westwall for at least ten weeks. By 31 January 1941, 622,064 awards had been made; by war's end, over 800,000 including the 1944 reissue.

The Infantry Assault Badge in Silver was instituted on 20 December 1939 for infantrymen who had participated in three assault attacks or three days of frontline combat after 1 January 1940. It was produced in very large quantities by many manufacturers.

The Waffenrock was worn for parades, guard duty, and ceremonial occasions. As great dress uniform, it was combined with shoulder cord, decorations, visor cap, gloves, and the Einheitssäbel (standard NCO saber) for officers and NCOs with sword knot, or bayonet for enlisted men. Wilkens' ensemble includes an Einheitssäbel manufactured by WKC (Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie.), Solingen, with brass hilt, black bakelite grip with silver wire wrapping, and nickel-plated blade.

The visor cap was manufactured by Clemens Wagner and displays the high, elegant saddle form typical for NCOs, made from fine cloth quality with aluminum national eagle and oak-leaf wreath, and black patent leather chinstrap. The size is approximately 58.

Production and issue of the Waffenrock ceased in March 1940 due to wartime economy. Already in July 1937, the Feldbluse mit Vorstößen (field tunic with piping) had been introduced as an alternative for most occasions except full parade dress.

The ensemble remained in direct Hamburg family possession until its sale and is complemented by a framed portrait photograph of Feldwebel Wilkens wearing this exact uniform, as well as a large oil painting (66 x 87 cm) signed by Robert Haas and dated 1942. These personal documents underscore the historical authenticity of this exceptional ensemble from the early phase of the Wehrmacht.