Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very rare totally genuine WWII Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) tropical waist belt, with correct Luftwaffe EM/NCO's Steel Painted Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß). Nice used originals such as this example are very hard to come by, as they tend to be either unissued, or heavily worn. This example shows lovely honest wear from the field, and also some fantastic period field repairs. The belt may have been a bit too short, so the end with the clip had the stitching removed, and was then refastened using flat-head nuts and square bolts. The other end had the leather adjustment tab removed and holes made directly right at the end of the webbing for the buckle, lengthening the belt to the maximum. Definitely a great period modification / repair that we have not seen before!

The buckle is of 1940 pattern, die stamped, steel (magnetic) construction, with a dark Luftwaffe blue grey painted finish. It is embossed with the wartime Luftwaffe straight tail eagle on a pebbled central field, surrounded by a laurel leaf wreath. The buckle shows significant use in the field, with the original finish retained at about 50% on the front of the buckle, with wear around the edges as expected from long service. It is a bit better retained on the reverse, and there is oxidation on both sides where the paint is worn. There is no maker marking stamped into the buckle, however it still still retains the aged leather tab, which is marked:

As mentioned previously, the DAK tan colored web belt has had the length adjustment tab removed, and the stitching on the clip end replaced by nuts and bolts. It shows wear commensurate with long service, and there are the letters LAMB.C on the inside of the belt, which would be a name. There are some faded markings near the clip end, and the belt measures about 35 from clip to loop in the current configuration.

Overall a lovely honest used and repaired example of a very rare belt and buckle from the Luftwaffe division of the Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK!

History of the German Africa Corps

The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of their African colonies, the formation fought on in Africa, under various appellations, from March 1941 until its surrender in May 1943. The unit's best known commander was Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

The dry climate of Africa proved to be an issue with much of the standard leather field gear that the German Army usually used. It would dry out and crack quickly, and become unusable. To deal with this, the standard field gear such as belts, Y-straps, A-frames, bayonet frogs, and other items, were issued in special tropical web versions.