Original German WWII EM/NCO Luftwaffe Belt with Pebbled Aluminum Buckle by Dr. Franke & Co. of Lüdenscheid – dated 1939 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice WWII German Wehrmacht Luftwaffe EM/NCO’s Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß) with a very nice black leather belt. It is embossed with the wartime Luftwaffe straight tail eagle. Nice aluminum injection molded construction box buckle with a pebbled background. The buckle is in very good condition, with all the pebbling in good condition, and much of the detail in the eagle present. It is however missing one of the two prongs on the adjustment claw, which is also made from aluminum, so they are somewhat delicate when compared to the steel used later.

The inside of the buckle is marked Dr. F. & Co., for Dr. Franke & Co., located in of Lüdenscheid, a city with a large garment accessories industry. The buckle still still retains the leather tab, which is is still clearly marked and dated by the maker:

DR. FRANKE & CO. KG
1939
LÜDENSCHEID

This firm was a known maker of aluminum Luftwaffe belts during the pre-WWII period.

The belt itself measures about 38” from end to end, made from thick leather with a pebbled leather tab with 7 pairs of holes attached to it for size adjustment. It is marked on the buckle end with 90, for 90cm (35.4inches), so it probably stretched out a bit during its service life. The belt is in good shape and still soft, however the black finish on the exterior definitely shows a good amount of wear, especially near the edges. The steel end clip is unmarked and shows light oxidation.

Overall a very nice example of a hard to find WWII German Belt and buckle, 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.