Hermann Goering's suit goes up for auction and is stained by his sweat

Experts have discovered that this dove grey suit was once worn by notorious Nazi leader Hermann Goering. 

They used sweat stains on the uniform to link it to the overweight German commander and it is now expected to fetch £85,000 when it goes under the hammer in Plymouth, Devon.

Goering, who founded the Gestapo and was commander of the German air force, was well known for being overweight and as a result the suit shows the strain of being worn by the large officer.

It was originally believed to be a replica, but the careful examination of the sweat blemishes and fraying on the buttons and buckles led experts to believe it had been worn.

The dove grey suit made by a Viennese tailor that was once worn by ruthless Nazi commander Hermann Goering

Hermann Goering, pictured in his full military dress during World War Two, favoured a dove grey suit

John Cabello, owner of Devon-Parade Antiques, where the uniform is being sold, said the wear and tear on the uniform helped them identify Goering as its original owner.

He said: 'Goering was hugely overweight and had a tendency to sweat a lot, that would explain the profusion of sweat in the tunic.

'The stress levels on the tunic's folds coupled with the strain on the broaches of the tunic show it was worn by someone overweight.

RELATED ARTICLES

• Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next

• Incredible vertigo-inducing video shows flight of... It's true... the Queen really did go AWOL on VE Day (I...
• Help for Heroes join fight to keep WWII veteran in his own...

Share this article

'This also proves it was worn for a long, long time by someone who was fat enough to cause it to stretch and wear over a period of time.

'He also had a habit when he used to walk around talking to people of putting his left hand into his left pocket. Because of this the wear on the left pocket is substantially more than the right.'

The outfit was made by the Viennese tailor, Tiller, who was known to have made uniforms for the Nazis during the war.

Stress levels on the tunic's folds coupled with the strain on the broaches of the tunic show it was worn by someone overweight

The uniform was believed to have been liberated by the Americans before it found its way into a collection in Switzerland

The outfit was made by the Viennese tailor, Tiller, who was known to have made uniforms for the Nazis during the war

Although the tailoring of dove grey blue ensemble is very good, the materials used are of remarkably lower quality when compared to the uniforms worn by Nazi officers at the beginning of the war.

Mr Cabello, from Plymouth, Devon, said: 'As the war progressed, it got harder to get materials and quality everywhere went down.

'There was also an effort by Goering to appear less grand during the latter part of the war. This is because as he was going around meeting the population, if he looks like he is living in opulence when they are in poverty it would not go down well.'

Goering, pictured above, saw himself as Hitler's successor and was known to have been ill for much of the war

Air Force chief Hermann Goering pictured with Adolf Hitler by the Nazi leader's train during the war

Mr Cabello bought the uniform at auction from a private museum in Switzerland, and at the time it was believed to have been a copy of Goering's uniform that would have been used only as a display model and not actually worn by Goering.

It was not until Mr Cabello began looking at the tunic and trousers in detail that he realised there were too many aspects of the uniform that could only have been caused by being worn by the Nazi himself.

THE HERO PILOT WHO BECAME A SENIOR FIGURE IN THE NAZI PARTY

The son of a judge Hermann Goering was born in Germany in 1893.

He fought in the air force during World War One and at the end of the conflict was recognised as a hero.

Goering became a leading figure in the Nazi party and was awarded a high position in Hitler's Government after he became Chancellor in 1933.

He went on to play a key role in establishing the Gestapo and created early concentration camps for political opponents of Hitler.

In 1935 he became commander in chief of the luftwaffe and held the post until the final days of the war.

After learning that Hitler intended to commit suicide  in 1945 he sent Hitler a telegram asking if he could assume control after his death.

He was removed from his position, expelled from the party and arrested. 

Goering was indicted by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg in 1946.

Goering was found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death by hanging.

Ahead of his execution he took cyanide and died. 

Mr Cabello said: 'We had it looked at by several people who deal in uniforms and the general consensus is the fact that it is old and has definitely been worn.

'We don't know the origin of the uniform. We assume it was liberated by the Americans and the local population and found its way into a collection in Switzerland.'

The uniform is being sold as a set which includes the original tunic, trousers and braces worn by Goering as well as a replica peaked cap and an original Nazi general's belt that would not have been owned by the Nazi commander.

It is being sold by Parade Antiques in Plymouth, Devon

An overweight Hermann Goering, in one of his grander suits,  arriving at the Bayreuth Festival with Frau Winifred Wagner

Hermann Goering standing in the dock during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial in November 1945

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWKAcX6WbGxtZ3ikxG63zaiuZnBlYn1xfIyupaKen6e6br7EmqOlsV2svLO6jIeYs6FdfbKzucCnpWZ%2Fn5q%2FqrrGZqqtmZmjsqV5spB8eoxencGuuA%3D%3D