Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very rare totally genuine service used condition WWII Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) Luftwaffe EM/NCO's Steel Painted Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß). It is embossed with the wartime Luftwaffe straight tail eagle on a pebbled central field, surrounded by a wreath. The buckle is of 1942 pattern, die stamped, steel (magnetic) construction, with a tropical DAK paint which is still 80% retained on the buckle.

The inside of the buckle has more of the original paint, and is marked near the loop with N & H . 1942 for Noelle & Hueck of Lüdenscheid, a Germany city with a large garment accessory industry. The buckle has a leather tab which is marked with the same information:

* NOELLE & HUECK *
1942
LÜDENSCHEID

This is a particularly gorgeous example, the first Luftwaffe buckle we have offered with tropical paint. Overall a fantastic example of a very rare buckle & tab from the Luftwaffe division of the Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK!

History of the German Africa Corps

The Afrikakorps or German Africa Corps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of their African colonies, the formation fought on in Africa, under various appellations, from March 1941 until its surrender in May 1943. The unit's best known commander was Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

The dry climate of Africa proved to be an issue with much of the standard leather field gear that the German Army usually used. It would dry out and crack quickly, and become unusable. To deal with this, the standard field gear such as belts, Y-straps, A-frames, bayonet frogs, and other items, were issued in special tropical web versions.