Original Excellent German WWII Luftwaffe Steel Belt Buckle by Dr. Franke & Co. of Lüdenscheid – dated 1940 & 1941 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent condition WWII German Luftwaffe Air Force EM/NCO’s Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß). It is embossed with the wartime Luftwaffe straight tail eagle inside a laurel leaf wreath. Nice die stamped, steel construction box buckle with a pebbled background inside the wreath. The buckle is in excellent condition, showing just a bit of wear on the raised areas on the front and back. The inside of the buckle is also marked Dr. F. & Co. 41 for Dr. Franke & Co., located in the city of Lüdenscheid, a city with a large garment accessories industry.

The buckle still retains the leather tab, which is manufacturer marked and dated, though with a different manufacturer and date:

R. SIEPER & SÖHNE
1940
LÜDENSCHEID

This is definitely very interesting, as we can see no evidence that the tab was ever changed out, or that anything was modified. We can only imagine that possibly being in the same city, that the may have outsourced production of the buckles or tabs. Definitely some great research possibilities here!

Overall an excellent example of a hard to find WWII German Belt buckle, with some very interesting markings. Ready to display!

The Luftwaffe, the air force of the German military during the Third Reich, was established in 1935. Over the next 10 years, Luftwaffe troops wore a huge variety of uniforms. Enlisted men generally wore uniforms issued from military depots. Most enlisted soldiers had wool trousers and a short jacket with two internal lower pockets, called a Fliegerbluse, as well as a dressier 4-pocket tunic, the Tuchrock. Officers wore the same general uniform styles, but as officers had to supply their own uniforms, they usually wore tailor made versions. There were also myriad varieties of specialized uniforms worn by certain units or in specific situations, from the tuxedo-style “gala” formal wear uniform of the pre-war period, to the plain coveralls worn by crews of anti-aircraft cannons. There were work uniforms, tropical and summer uniforms, and camouflage clothing for airborne troops and other Luftwaffe soldiers in ground combat. Flight crews had their own specialized gear, including leather jackets and warm, electrically heated suits. Most but not all Luftwaffe uniform jackets bore the Luftwaffe emblem of a flying eagle holding a swas.