Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive early German WWII Luftwaffe four pocket Tuchrock service tunic for a Flight Branch Oberfeldwebel NCO, constructed from classic Fliegerblau blue gray wool and retaining its original rank and branch insignia. The tunic is particularly appealing for its early LBA 36 issue marking, Goldgelb Flight Branch insignia, two pip NCO shoulder boards, four gull collar tabs, machine embroidered breast eagle, and surviving award loops.

The tunic has the characteristic four pocket service configuration with a lay down collar, four button front closure, and four square pleated pockets with buttoned flaps, the two upper pockets having lightly scalloped lower edges. The pebbled buttons are a mixture of magnetic and nonmagnetic examples, with traces of their original paint or plating remaining. Some are maker marked on the reverse, and all show evidence of repair or reattachment to their threads at some point. Overall the blue gray wool retains good color, although service wear has removed much of the original fuzzy nap, particularly around the collar. There are scattered moth holes, several repaired seams, and some alteration or repair work visible along the lower center seam.

The right breast carries a machine embroidered Luftwaffe eagle worked in silver gray thread on a Fliegerblau backing. The insignia is stitched only through the exterior wool rather than through the lining, a construction consistent with period installation. The collar is edged with approximately 12mm silver NCO Tresse, correctly identifying the tunic as an NCO garment rather than an officer's tunic.

The shoulder boards and collar tabs establish the rank and branch configuration. The Kragenpatten (Collar Flaps) are in Goldgelb (Gold-Yellow), as is the collar piping, the correct Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for Aviator troops such as pilots, air crew, and ground personnel, as well as Fallschirmjäger (parachute troops). The button attached style Schulterklappen (Shoulder Boards or Epaulettes) have the same color piping, and a single row of 10mm NCO tress around the outside with two rank "Pips" added, indicating the rank of Oberfeldwebel (Master Sergeant). This is further supported by the collar insignia, which each correctly show four "gull wing" insignia for Oberfeldwebel.

The interior is lined throughout in lightweight blue gray canvas, including the sleeves. Four rows of stitching remain along the side seams for the original belt hook support arrangement, although the internal hook straps have been removed. A horizontal slash pocket is located on the inner left breast, and immediately above it are the surviving size and issue markings:

44         
96
74     66
LBA36

The LBA marking denotes the Luftwaffenbekleidungsamt, or Luftwaffe Clothing Office, and the 36 is consistent with 1936 issue or processing. No office letter is visible to identify a specific depot. Additional markings below the pocket are now too faded to read with confidence and have therefore been left uninterpreted.

Above the left breast pocket is a pair of thread loops that most likely once held a ribbon bar. The pocket itself has two additional sets of horizontal thread loops for attachment of awards or badges, giving the tunic a nicely service worn appearance without attempting to identify decorations that are no longer present.

The lining shows staining from wear, while the exterior remains in very good overall condition with no major tears or structural damage. The most notable issues are the scattered moth holes, worn surface nap, repaired seams, staining to the lining, and the previously mentioned lower center seam work.

For the Luftwaffe uniform collector, this is a particularly strong early NCO Tuchrock. The LBA 36 marking, Goldgelb Flight Branch insignia, clearly identifiable Oberfeldwebel rank, early four pocket construction, surviving breast eagle, and original award loops combine with honest service wear to give the tunic excellent period character and display presence.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10.5"
Shoulder to sleeve: 25"
Shoulder to shoulder: 17.5"
Chest width: 20"
Waist: 18"
Hip: 22"
Front length: 31"

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.