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, the clandestine 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. 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: Second pattern, (Circa May 1940-May 1945), EM/NCO’s flight blouse with external hip pockets. The coarsely woven, Luftwaffe blue/grey, wool/rayon blend construction flight blouse features a vertical, five button, French fly, front closure with the buttons on the right front panel and small, vertical, slashes and corresponding button eyelets on the left front panel. The flight blouse has small, fold back lapels and a lay down collar with a single metal hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline. The right breast has a second pattern, (Circa 1936/1937-1945), machine embroidered Luftwaffe Luftwaffe national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a canted swastika in one talon, in silvery/grey rayon threads on a cut-out, Luftwaffe blue/grey wool base. The eagle is machine stitched to the flight blouse. The flight blouse has two, slightly diagonally angled, slash, front hip pockets with rounded front corner, button down flaps. The waistline side seams each have three, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets for the belt support hooks. The flight blouse has slip on shoulder straps in Luftwaffe blue/grey wool with golden yellow rayon waffenfarbe piping. The shoulder strap fabric retaining loops and buttons are all intact. Of Note: Enlisted flight personnel’s shoulder straps indicate the ranks of, Flieger, Gefreiter, Obergefreiter and Hauptgefreiter/Stabsgefreiter inclusively with the specific rank being displayed on the collar tabs. The lay down collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar features golden yellow wool collar tabs with a natural alloy, rank "gull" to each. The collar tabs are hand stitched to the collar. The interior of the flight blouse is partially lined in light weight, blue/grey rayon. The lining features a horizontal slash, patch pocket with a single button closure to each breast panel. The forward, right, front, tail skirt has a wound dressing patch pocket also with a single button closure. The lining also has small, vertical, blue/grey rayon straps with six stitched eyelets to each, situated at the side seams of the waistline, for the belt support hooks. All three collar liner attachment buttons are intact. Well marked with faint, black size inkstamps and an RB number. Of Note: The RB numbers, Reichsbetriebnummer, (National factory code numbers), were introduced in late 1942 and were intended to replace the manufacturers marks on garments and equipment to conceal the manufactures name and location from the allies, to prevent bombing raids on German industrial factories. Buttons all look to have original stitching. The flight blouse is roughly a size 36" chest. Super nice tunic.