Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Luftwaffe EM/NCO steel belt buckle, or Koppelschloß, manufactured by E. Schneider of Lüdenscheid and complete with its original 1942 dated leather tab. The buckle is in excellent condition and retains nearly all of its original dark Luftwaffe blue paint, with only very light wear to the edges and raised portions of the design.

The buckle is of die stamped steel construction and features the wartime Luftwaffe straight tail eagle centered within a laurel leaf wreath. The field inside the wreath has the correct pebbled texture, which remains sharp and well preserved. The eagle retains strong detail throughout. Most of the original dark blue finish remains intact on the obverse, with only minor wear along the outer edges and the highest points of the eagle and wreath. The reverse interior also retains a substantial amount of original paint.

In the lower interior corner, partially concealed beneath the adjustment claw, the buckle is maker marked inside a circle:

E   S
42
L

This identifies manufacture by E. Schneider of Lüdenscheid in 1942. Due to the location of the marking beneath the claw assembly, it is difficult to photograph clearly.

The buckle still retains its original leather tab, which remains firmly attached with intact stitching. The leather shows some age related staining but no major structural damage.

The tab is maker marked:

E. SCHNEIDER
1942
LÜDENSCHEID

The matching E. Schneider maker attribution and 1942 date on both the buckle and leather tab make this a particularly appealing complete example.

Overall condition is excellent, with strong original paint, crisp pebbled detail, well preserved eagle and wreath, intact leather tab stitching, and only light age and service wear. It would display especially well in a Luftwaffe enlisted equipment, E. Schneider maker, 1942 dated field gear, or advanced German WWII buckle collection.

The Luftwaffe, the air force of the German military during the Third Reich, was established in 1935. Over the next 10 years, Luftwaffe troops wore a huge variety of uniforms. Enlisted men generally wore uniforms issued from military depots. Most enlisted soldiers had wool trousers and a short jacket with two internal lower pockets, called a Fliegerbluse, as well as a dressier 4-pocket tunic, the Tuchrock. Officers wore the same general uniform styles, but as officers had to supply their own uniforms, they usually wore tailor made versions. There were also myriad varieties of specialized uniforms worn by certain units or in specific situations, from the tuxedo-style “gala” formal wear uniform of the pre-war period, to the plain coveralls worn by crews of anti-aircraft cannons. There were work uniforms, tropical and summer uniforms, and camouflage clothing for airborne troops and other Luftwaffe soldiers in ground combat. Flight crews had their own specialized gear, including leather jackets and warm, electrically heated suits. Most but not all Luftwaffe uniform jackets bore the Luftwaffe emblem of a flying eagle holding a swas.