BACKGROUND: The Reichsluftwaffe was officially 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. Collar tabs were adopted by the newly formed Luftwaffe on April 14TH 1935 and followed the basic pattern of the collar tabs that had been utilized by the DLV, Deutscher Luftsportsverband, (German Air Sports Association), the Luftwaffe’s clandestine civilian forerunner. The collar tabs 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 bright red being chosen for personnel serving with the Flugzeugabwehrartillerie, (Anti-Aircraft Artillery), units which was generally displayed as the base color of the collar tabs. Of Note: The Flak arm is often viewed as a secondary arm of service within the Luftwaffe when in fact during the war between half and two thirds of all Luftwaffe personnel served in a Flak unit.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Bright red wool construction collar tab with three, hand embroidered, rank "gulls" encompassed by a closed top oak-leaf wreath in bright, silver/aluminum wire threads. The collar tab is piped in twisted, bright, silver/aluminum cord and mounted on buckram backing.