BACKGROUND: When the Reichsluftwaffe, was official established on February 26TH 1935 as the third branch of service of the Armed Forces it adopted the shoulder board/strap rank insignia that had been utilized by its civilian forerunner the Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports League). The shoulder boards/straps remained in use through-out the war with minor modifications. Of Note: 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 shoulder straps were worn in matching pairs and indicated the branch of service and rank of the wearer. Of Note: Enlisted flight personnel’s shoulder straps indicate the ranks of, Flieger, Gefreiter, Obergefreiter and Hauptgefreiter/Stabsgefreiter inclusively. Generally all Luftwaffe personnel wore light blue/grey or blue flecked shirts for most forms of dress. Originally all the issue shirts were the collarless style until regulations of September 1943 introduced a shirt with an integral collar to replace the earlier collarless shirts. The collared shirts utilized slip on shoulder boards/straps which were manufactured in the same material as the shirts.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Light weight, flecked blue/grey cotton construction, slip on shoulder straps with bright red rayon waffenfarbe piping. The bottom of the straps and the slip on retaining tongues are also in light weight, flecked blue/grey cotton.