Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice late WWII German Wehrmacht Luftwaffe 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 very good condition, with the pebbling in good condition, and most of the detail in the eagle present. Most of the original dark Luftwaffe blue paint is still present, with wear around the edges and on the raised portions of the front. There is still lots of paint on the rear interior, which is maker-marked with a simple letter L. This is a known maker that has yet to be identified, seen during the late war period.
Overall a very nice example of a hard to find WWII German Belt buckle, with a lovely patina. 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.