Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive and early German WWII Luftwaffe Fliegerbluse for a Flight Branch NCO, retaining its original Goldgelb branch color insignia, silver NCO Tresse, one pip shoulder boards, embroidered breast eagle, concealed front closure, and a clearly dated L.B.A. (S) 40 depot inspection marking. The short, streamlined Fliegerbluse became one of the most recognizable Luftwaffe uniform garments of WWII, worn by aircrew, flying personnel, and other members of the service from the prewar years through 1945. This example is especially appealing because it dates to 1940, the year of the campaigns in the West and the Battle of Britain, and retains the early features and depot markings collectors look for on an issued Luftwaffe uniform.

The tunic is manufactured from standard Luftwaffe Fliegerblau blue gray wool and has the compact, relatively short cut that gave the Fliegerbluse its distinctive appearance. Unlike the more formal four pocket Tuchrock, the Fliegerbluse was designed as a practical service garment with a clean exterior and minimal exposed hardware.

One of its most characteristic features is the concealed front closure. The tunic retains all four of its hidden Bakelite front buttons, each still securely attached. When closed, these buttons are almost completely hidden beneath the front fly, giving the blouse its smooth, uncluttered appearance.

There is also a smaller fifth button that allowed the wearer to close the front of the collar, together with a hook and loop fastener. Beneath the collar is an additional strap with two buttons, allowing the collar to be secured in the raised position when desired.

The two waist pockets have the characteristic forward edge curved flaps, each secured by a pebbled non-magnetic button. The pocket flaps could also be tucked inside the pockets to further simplify the exterior appearance of the blouse.

The interior is partially lined in blue gray canvas with reinforced areas typical of depot issued Luftwaffe uniform construction. Two interior chest pockets are present, each with a button closure.

The upper right area of the left interior pocket is stamped: L.B.A. (S) 40

This is a Luftwaffe clothing depot acceptance marking. L.B.A. stands for Luftwaffen-Bekleidungsamt, or Luftwaffe Clothing Office. The (S) is associated with the Sonneberg clothing depot, while 40 indicates acceptance in 1940. These LBA depot markings are particularly desirable on issued Luftwaffe garments because they provide a direct indication of military acceptance and period of issue.

Lower on the pocket are additional size and possible maker markings:

BRZROCK
41 44
96
60 61

The precise meaning of the first line has not been confirmed, but the numerical stamps are consistent with the dimensional sizing system used on German military uniform garments.

The tunic retains its attractive original Luftwaffe breast eagle. This is the correct embroidered EM/NCO type and is very neatly hand stitched to the chest in a manner consistent with wartime German tailoring. The stitching remains intact without noted damage.

Several original award loops also remain on the left breast. These provide an excellent opportunity to display the tunic with appropriate period decorations if desired, although no awards are currently included.

The collar is finished with approximately 10mm wide silver NCO Tresse running around the entire collar, a defining distinction of Luftwaffe NCO rank.

The attached Kragenpatten, or collar tabs, are faced in: Goldgelb

Gold Yellow was the Luftwaffe branch color associated with flying personnel and aviation related troops, including pilots and aircrew. It was also used by Fallschirmjäger personnel, so branch color alone does not establish that the original wearer was a pilot.

The early sew in style Schulterklappen, or shoulder boards, carry the same Goldgelb branch piping and have a single row of silver NCO Tresse around their perimeter.

Each shoulder board carries one rank pip.

This configuration corresponds to the rank of: Feldwebel

The German Luftwaffe Feldwebel was a senior noncommissioned officer rank and would broadly fall into the professional NCO class occupied by experienced section leaders, specialists, and technical personnel.

The collar tabs each carry three aluminum gull wing devices. While three gulls are often encountered on Luftwaffe NCO tabs, the shoulder boards provide the clearest rank indicator here, with the single pip corresponding to Feldwebel.

The Fliegerbluse itself traces its origins to the rapid development of the Luftwaffe during the 1930s. The German air arm was officially established in 1935, although aviation training and organization had been developed covertly before that date because of the restrictions imposed after WWI.

As the Luftwaffe expanded, it developed a distinctive uniform system separate from the Heer and Kriegsmarine. The blue gray Fliegerblau wool became instantly recognizable, and the Fliegerbluse emerged as one of the service’s signature garments.

Enlisted personnel generally received their uniforms through military supply depots, which is why acceptance markings such as the L.B.A. stamp on this tunic are important. Unlike privately purchased officer garments, issued Fliegerblusen were intended as practical working and service clothing and were subject to standardized inspection and sizing.

The Luftwaffe of 1940 was at the height of its early wartime success. Its fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, transport, and ground support units had participated in the campaigns in Poland and Scandinavia and then played a major role during the invasions of the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

Later that year, Luftwaffe aircrew fought the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. A depot accepted 1940 Flight Branch Fliegerbluse such as this therefore dates from one of the most historically important periods in Luftwaffe history, although there is no provenance identifying the original wearer or establishing participation in any particular campaign.

The Luftwaffe eventually employed an enormous range of specialized clothing. Flight crews wore leather garments, insulated suits, heated flying equipment, and specialized headgear, while Fallschirmjäger and ground combat personnel developed their own distinctive field equipment. The Fliegerbluse, however, remained one of the basic uniform garments worn throughout the service.

Condition is very good overall, particularly for an issued early war wool uniform. There is light staining and age toning to the fabric together with some wear to the fuzzy surface nap.

There is some moth damage on the front right side of the tunic. A larger hole measuring approximately one inch across is present on the left side just forward of the side seam. These areas are clearly visible and represent the principal condition issues.

Despite the moth damage, the tunic retains an impressive amount of its original character and equipment, including its concealed Bakelite buttons, collar closures, pocket buttons, Flight Branch insignia, NCO Tresse, one pip shoulder boards, breast eagle, award loops, interior pockets, size stamps, and 1940 LBA acceptance marking.

Early war Luftwaffe Fliegerblusen with clear depot markings and surviving NCO insignia are especially appealing because they combine one of the service’s most iconic uniform patterns with a precisely identifiable period of issue. The L.B.A. (S) 40 marking, Goldgelb Flight Branch insignia, Feldwebel shoulder boards, neatly applied embroidered eagle, hidden four button front, and strong overall condition make this an excellent example for a Luftwaffe uniform, Battle of Britain era, aviation, German NCO, or advanced WWII militaria collection.