Original Item: Only One Available. This is a high quality private-purchased Org. Todt Enlisted Personnel Greatcoat, with an earth brown wool outer shell. It features a six button double-breasted closure with a fold down collar, which has a hook and loop closure. All of the buttons are the pebbled magnetic variety, which look to have been plated and then painted. These are all sewn directly to the fabric, and one of the right side buttons has unfortunately torn off. The greatcoat features long french style cuffs on the end of the sleeves, and has two large waist pockets with top flaps.

The inside of the coat is lined on the top half with gray rayon herringbone twill fabric, which extends down both of the sleeves. It is marked 48 under the left chest slash pocket, and there is a maker stamp below that, which we unfortunately cannot read, however we can read the name of the city they were in: Prossnitz (Proßnitz), correctly known as Prostějov, then part of occupied Czechoslovakia.

The greatcoat has an enlisted grade kragenspiegel (collar tab) on each side of the collar, showing an earth brown background with an overlapping embroidered red OT insignia, with no other devices. These were used for the "enlisted" ranks in the OT, which we believe went from an OT-Arbeiter (OT-Worker), equivalent to a Soldat, up to an OT-Obermeister (OT-Senior Master), equivalent to an Unteroffizier. Paramilitary ranks often did not exactly line up to the military ranks, resulting in some confusion regarding whether they were an enlisted or NCO rank. Sewn to the left sleeve is a correct ORG. TODT cuff title over an NSDAP printed armband, correct for all members of Org. Todt. The insignia are in very good condition, showing only light wear.

Overall condition is very good, showing no major mothing or other damage. There is some stitch pulling and fraying in areas, and several of the buttons are somewhat close to falling off due to the stitching having worn. There is also stain on the front of the coat on the left side of the main closure, which looks to be from spilled food.

A lovely Org. Todt Enlisted Greatcoat in very nice condition, complete with the correct collar insignia and armband. Ready to research and display!

Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to sleeve: 25.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17”
Chest width: 20.5”
Waist width: 22.5"
Hip width: 34”
Front length: 45.5"

The Organisation Todt (OT) was a civil and military engineering organization in NSDAP Germany from 1933 to 1945, named for its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior NSDAP. The OT was not given an official name until AH did so soon after coming to power during 1933. During 1938 Todt initiated the Organisation Todt proper as a consortium of the administrative offices, which Todt had personally established in the course of the Autobahn project, private companies as subcontractors and the primary source of technical engineering expertise, and the Labour Service as the source of manpower. He was appointed by AH as plenipotentiary for labour for the second four-year plan, decreasing Göring's role. Investment in civil engineering work was reduced greatly. The organization was responsible for a huge range of engineering projects both in NSDAP Germany and in occupied territories from France to the Soviet Union during World War II. It became notorious for using forced labor.

From 1943 until 1945 during the late phase of the Third Reich, OT administered all constructions of prison camps to supply forced labor to industry. Fritz Todt's primary office was that of the General Inspector of German Roadways (Generalinspektor für das deutsche Straßenwesen) and his primary responsibility, the construction of the Autobahn network. He was able to draw on "conscripted" (i.e. compulsory) labour, from within Germany, through the Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst, RAD).

Fritz Todt died in an airplane crash on 8 February 1942, soon after a meeting with AH in East Prussia. Todt had become convinced that the war on the eastern front could not be won and thought himself independent enough to say as much to AH. As a result, there has been some speculation that Todt's death was a covert assassination, but this has never been substantiated.