SS Vlaanderen Visor Cap

The visor cap of the Algemeene SS-Vlaanderen formed part of the uniform worn by the Flemish organisation established in occupied Belgium in October 1940. Organised along the lines of the German Allgemeine-SS, it carried out political, administrative, organisational and paramilitary duties throughout Flanders.

The cap follows the traditional German service pattern, with a rigid raised crown, black cap band, glossy peak and a leather chin strap secured by side buttons. A Totenkopf is mounted on the cap band, while the upper front of the crown features a large metal swastika.

This upper insignia is the defining characteristic of the SS-Vlaanderen pattern. Unlike the standard SS visor caps worn in Germany, which carried the national SS eagle above the Totenkopf, the Algemeene SS-Vlaanderen used a large swastika in its place. This arrangement is documented by surviving original examples and period photographs.

The Algemeene SS-Vlaanderen should not be confused with the Flemish Legion or the later 27th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division “Langemarck”, both military formations of the Waffen-SS. This visor cap instead belonged to the political and territorial organisation operating within Flanders under the organisational model of the Allgemeine-SS.

Among the most distinctive uniformological features of this cap is the unusual arrangement of its front insignia, making it immediately recognisable among the various SS visor cap patterns used during the period.