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, though it definitely saw long service, wearing off much of the detail on the eagle and some of the pebbling. The rear of the buckle is marked by the catch loop with L. & M. 39, for 1939 production by Franz Reichenauer of Oberstein on the Nahe River. This firm was a known maker of aluminum Luftwaffe belts during the pre-WWII period, and is quite rare to find. This is the first item of any type we have had by this maker.
The belt itself measures about 39” when fully extended, and is in very good lightly used condition. It features the standard leather size adjustment tab with a double row of 7 holes, and an additional set of holes has been added right by the stitching. It is marked on the leather of the belt with size 98 for 98cm, which is about 38.6 inches. Overall condition is very nice, with no tears or other issues, just wear from service.
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.