Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very good original German WWII Luftwaffe summerweight two piece flight uniform consisting of a blue twill flight jacket and matching lightweight flying trousers. The jacket is fitted with Flight Branch shoulder boards for the rank of Oberst, a hand embroidered bullion Luftwaffe breast eagle, and a functional white Ri-Ri bakelite main zipper. The trousers retain their marked zippers, interior straps, and faint RBNr. manufacturer code. Neither garment has a fur lining or electrically heated system.

Development of specialized protective flight clothing began during WWI and continued through the Weimar period and into the German WWII era. Several one piece flight suit patterns were approved before the war, but regulations issued on July 4th, 1940 and April 24th, 1941 introduced two piece protective flight clothing intended to provide greater mobility within the confined space of a fighter cockpit. Collectors commonly refer to this jacket and trouser arrangement as the Kanalanzug, or Channel Uniform.

The jacket is constructed from lightweight blue twill fabric with a light interior lining. It has no plush or fur insulation and is not fitted with an electrical heating system, identifying it as a summerweight garment.

A hand embroidered silver bullion Luftwaffe eagle is attached to the right breast. The eagle remains well defined, although the uniform fabric beneath and around the insignia shows heavy wear.

The jacket features a very nice embroidered bullion Luftwaffe eagle on the right chest, with some heavy wear to the uniform underneath. The main closure zipper is white bakelite and is by Ri-Ri, and is in good functional condition. The snaps on the cuffs are by PRYM. It retains the small leather strap along the front closure, unbroken, with the correct map pocket on the opposite breast. The cuff buttons are all retained. 

The jacket has a knitted waistband showing extensive wear and multiple scattered holes. The knit remains substantially intact, although the elastic formerly contained within the waistband has stretched and no longer provides its original degree of tension.

There is no maker stamp or marking anywhere in the jacket. The jacket has some heavy staining to the exterior, especially on the sleeves, with moderate wear overall. One of the sleeves is a bit stiff as a result. 

The button attached style Field-grade Offizier schulterklappen (Officer shoulder boards) on the flight jacket are constructed with two rows of fine silver flatware "Russia Braid" double piping, which are plaited together to form a loop around the buttonhole. The bottoms and straps are Goldgelb (Gold-Yellow), the Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for Aviator troops such as pilots and ground personnel, as well as Fallschirmjäger (parachute troops). There are two rank "pips", indicating the rank of Oberst, a rank equivalent to a Colonel in the U.S. Air force.

The summerweight trousers are of similar lightweight construction, with a metal front closure zipper by ZIPP, which retains the leather tab. All snaps on the trousers are PRYM marked, and the two leg zippers are by RAPID, with their leather tabs also retained. The suspender attachment straps are in good order, and the interior leather straps of the pockets are all retained as well. 

The interior waist of the trousers retain a very faint stamped RBNr number:

RB-Nr. 0/0794/0025

The Reichsbetriebsnummer, abbreviated RBNr., was a coded factory identification system used during the later war years. The specific manufacturer represented by 0/0794/0025 has not been confirmed. Next to this is a stamp, Fa.

The trousers remain in excellent overall condition, showing only minor fraying to the fabric. Their zippers, leather pull tabs, snaps, interior straps, and buckles are all well retained.

The rank insignia and bullion eagle present the jacket as an officer’s garment for an Oberst of the Flight Branch. These insignia are physically attached to the jacket, but no named provenance or photographic record identifies the original wearer or confirms his precise flying duties.

The summerweight blue twill construction, functional Ri-Ri bakelite zipper, marked PRYM snaps, map pocket, retained leather closure strap, Oberst shoulder boards, and bullion breast eagle preserve the principal features of the jacket. The trousers add their marked ZIPP and RAPID zippers, complete interior fittings, and coded RB-Nr. 0/0794/0025 stamp. The heavy sleeve staining, worn knit waistband, holes, stretched elastic, and fabric wear beneath the eagle are important condition factors, while the two garments together provide a detailed example of Luftwaffe warm weather flight clothing fitted with field grade officer insignia.

Approximate Measurements
Collar to shoulder: 8"
Shoulder to sleeve: 22.5"
Shoulder to shoulder: 17"
Chest width: 17"
Waist: 17"
Hip: 20"
Front length: 30"

Pants
Waist: 16.5"
Rise: 16.5"
Inseam: 26.5"