BACKGROUND: The Reichsluftwaffe was official established on February 26TH 1935 as the third branch of service of the German Armed Forces. On March 9TH 1935 the formation of the new Reichsluftwaffe was announced to the foreign press and on March 16TH conscription was reintroduced for all three branches of service. On May 21ST 1935 the Reichsluftwaffe designation was altered to Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe flight blouse was originally introduced in early 1935 and was based on the Fliegerbluse worn earlier by, DLV, Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports League), personnel, a civilian forerunner of the Luftwaffe. The flight blouse remained in service through-out the war with minor modifications. Originally flight blouses for EM/NCO’s were without external pockets until regulations of May 6TH 1940 when the second pattern flight blouse with external hip pockets was introduced. Officer’s ranks version of the flight blouse was officially introduced on March 1ST 1935 and were manufactured in higher quality material and were equipped with two, external hip pockets. The Luftwaffe utilized a wide variety of pants including the evening dress pants, the standard, straight legged, long pants, drill and field pants, tapered "keilhose" pants, assorted specialized pants designed for specific branch of service personnel and both mounted on unmounted personnel’s breeches. Unmounted Officers were permitted to wear breeches similar in style to the riding breeches worn by mounted personnel but not including the dual-ply, reinforcement panel to the seat, crotch and inner thighs as found on the mounted breeches. Unmounted Officers breeches were the prescribed or optional type of pants for wear with the Service Dress, the Undress Uniform, the Reporting and the Parade dress uniforms. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the Luftwaffe’s Verkaufsabteilung, (Air-Force Sales Department), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their uniforms from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase uniform items of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored uniforms although the price may have been restrictive. The different branches of service within the Luftwaffe were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Colors), with golden yellow being chosen for personnel serving with Flieger, (Flight), units which was generally displayed as collar piping for EM/NCO’s, (discontinued in March 1940), on the collar tabs and as piping on the shoulder strap/boards of the flight blouse.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, private purchase, Luftwaffe blue/grey, wool/rayon blend construction flight blouse with a subtle whipcord weave features a vertical, four button, French fly, front closure with the buttons on the right front panel and small vertical slashes and corresponding, hidden button eyelets on the left front panel, small, fold back, lapels and a lay down collar. The upper, left panel of the front closure has an Iron Cross 2ND class ribbon neatly handstitched in place. The right breast has a nice quality, hand embroidered Luftwaffe eagle clutching a canted swastika in it’s talons, in bright silver/aluminum wire threads with bright silver/aluminum bullion accent threads on a cut-out, blue/grey, wool base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the tunic. Cloth para badge is original hand stitching to the tunic. Awards loops for two other badge. Two place ribbon bar. The flight blouse has two, curved, slash, front hip pockets. The flight blouse has, straight cut, non-adjustable sleeves with a small, vertical slash to the outside seams. Nice matched collar tabs and shoulder boards with all original stitching to the tunic. The interior of the flight blouse is fully lined in ribbed, blue/grey rayon with grey striped, white rayon sleeves. The lining features a horizontal slash, pocket to the left breast panel. Original dagger/sword support strap is still present. Two small holes in the upper left sleeve and a small period sewing repair to the lower sleeve cuff but both are hidden from view when the tunic is displayed flat. All original buttons and stitching. The flight blouse is roughly a size 36" chest. Officer Fliegerbluse examples are tough to find. Of note; This exceptional fliegerbluse, formerly in the Ramsey Speer collection. Ramsey is considered one the top expert in the United States on WW2 German cloth. Photographed for Volume 2 of German Paratroops by Robert Kurtz (pending publication). Nice!