Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely German WWII Luftwaffe Flight Branch Unteroffiziere (NCO's) Four Pocket Fliegerbluse (Flight Blouse) Service Tunic, made from lovely Luftwaffe Fliegerblau (Flyer's Blue) Blue Gray "whipcord weave" wool. It features a four button front closure with an additional hidden snap at the bottom, and has four squared pleated pockets with square button-down flaps. The pebbled buttons on the tunic are all magnetic with a silver wash on the top, which is partially retained on most. They have some number markings on the reverse, but no definitive maker marking, and are stitched directly to the uniform fabric.

The interior of the tunic is lined with lovely gray blue rayon, with the sleeves lined with blue striped white cotton. There are horizontal slash pockets on both the right and left inner chest, and there is also a dagger hanger strap next to the large eyelet, so this uniform was set up so it could be used both for NCOs and Officers. The lining is in very good shape, though there is some of the stitching on the rear left seam has pulled out. We were not able to find any type of maker or issue markings, so this tunic looks to have been made by a local tailor, and probably adjusted for the owner.

The right breast of the uniform has a correct hand embroidered NCO Luftwaffe eagle sewn in place with the correct stitching pattern. It is only stitched to the outer layer of fabric, so it is the original eagle installed on this uniform tunic. There is also an early NSDAP / SA stick pin installed on the left lapel, so the owner was probably a member of the organization before their military service.

The collar of this officer's tunic has an NCO silver braid going around the entire edge, correct for an NCO fliegerbluse that doesn't have enough room on the collar for the tresse flat piping. The attached 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 sew-in 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 shoulder straps also show metal KS cyphers between the rank pips, which indicates that the owner was at the Kriegschule (War School). They are the correct unfinished 'white aluminum' used for senior NCOs.

The left pocket of the tunic has two thread loops, and attached to them is a lovely Luftwaffe Pilot's Badge (Flugzeugführerabzeichen or Pilotenabzeichen), indicating that the owner had passed their pilot qualifications. The reverse is not marked, however the style is textbook for an unmarked badge by Friedrich Linden of Lüdenscheid (FLL). It has the typical flattened rivets attaching the eagle, bent barrel hinge with a sem-oval base, and bent flat wire pin catch typical of this maker. We have compared it to other known unmarked examples, and it is a match. It is of zinc construction, and the silver wash is partly retained on the eagle and wreath.

Overall condition of the tunic is very good, showing light wear from service and no moth damage we can see. This is just how we like to see them, with no signs of being messed with. This is an example that would be very hard to improve upon.

A very nice Luftwaffe War School NCO Pilot's Tunic with a great FLL Attributed Pilot's Badge, ready to display!

Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to sleeve: 26”
Shoulder to shoulder: 15"
Chest width: 19”
Waist: 16"
Hip: 20"
Front length: 29"

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.