BACKGROUND: When the Reichsluftwaffe, (National Air Force), was officially established on February 26TH 1935 as the third branch of service of the Wehrmacht, (Armed Forces), it adopted the shoulder board/strap rank insignia that had been utilized by its clandestine, civilian forerunner the Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports Association). 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, (Air Force). The shoulder straps were worn in matching pairs and indicated the branch of service and rank of the wearer. The different branches of service within the Luftwaffe were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with light brown being chosen for personnel serving with Nachrichten, (Signals), units which was displayed as piping on the shoulder straps. NCO’s ranks shoulder straps were distinguished from enlisted personnel’s shoulder straps by the addition of NCO’s rank tress and/or rank pips. Originally NCO ranks wore a bright, silver/aluminum tress on the forward collar edge of the dress and service tunics, on the tropical and continental field blouses, as adornment on the shoulder straps and dress tunic cuffs and also as sleeve rank chevrons. On September 1ST 1942, the Luftwaffe, following the army’s lead, introduced a new subdued, matte, blue/grey rayon tress for wear on the field uniform. Although the new subdued tress was intended to replace the highly visible, bright, silver/aluminum tress it continued in usage until the end of the war. The Luftwaffe instituted a wide variety of shoulder board/strap cyphers that indicated numerous specific, assorted trades, careers, functions and/or unit designations. Regulations decreed that the shoulder board/strap cyphers were embroidered in the appropriate branch of service color for EM’s and Junior NCO’s, in silvered metal for Senior NCO’s and General ranks and in gilted metal for Officer’s ranks from Leutnant up to and including the rank of Oberst.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Luftwaffe blue/grey wool construction, slip on shoulder strap with light brown wool waffenfarbe piping.