Original Item: Only One Available. Development of protective flight uniforms and equipment began with the advent of military aircraft in WWI and continued on into the Weimar and the Third Reich eras, resulting in three distinct one-piece combination pattern flight suits being approved before WWII and worn for the duration of the war.

Regulations of July 4TH 1940 and April 24TH 1941 introduced two piece protective flight suits for fighter pilots designed to increase the wearers mobility and not be as restrictive in the close confines of a cockpit. The two piece flight suits consist of separate jacket and pants and was commonly referred to as the "Kanalanzug", (Channel Uniform).

Officers were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and were allotted a clothing allowance. Generally speaking officers bought nice quality, private purchase, uniform items but they could also choose to buy their uniforms directly from the military clothing depots. Besides the standard issue flight garments Luftwaffe personnel also utilized a wide variety of private purchase leather jackets in contradiction of regulations. These private purchase jackets appear to have been quite popular as they can be commonly seen in period photographs.

This wonderful example is constructed with a fine Luftwaffe blue leather exterior and a blue fur interior, which looks to be shearling leather or something similar. We assume it was dyed blue to match the leather, and it shows some fading on the exposed areas. There are no internal pockets, however there are two external fur-lined waist pockets on the front, which do not have any type of closure or flap. The main closure is a zipper, which is intact but unfortunately most of the slider tab broke off at some point, so it can be hard to zip up. The ends of the sleeves also have zipper closures, which are fully functional and the tabs are unmarked.

The collar of the jacket is the lay-down type, and can be flipped up and secured with a leather strap and buckle. There are similar straps and buckles on both sides of the jacket to help adjust the fit. We were not able to find any markings on the interior, however this is definitely a style seen used by the Luftwaffe.

Condition is very good showing the expected wear from service, as well as some age-related degradation.  The ends of the sleeves in particular and the flaps around the zipper show loss of fur from the lining, which is rolled over onto the front of the jacket in most areas. We did not see any major damage to the leather or popped seams. This would make a great addition to any German WWII Luftwaffe collection. Ready to display!

Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 12"
Shoulder to sleeve: 24”
Shoulder to shoulder: 18.5"
Chest width: 22”
Waist: 21"
Front length: 30"