Original German WWII Luftwaffe Blue Electric Heated Officer’s Winter Flying Jacket Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Development of protective flight uniforms and equipment began with the advent of military aircraft in WWI and continued on into the Weimar and the Third Reich eras, resulting in three distinct one-piece combination pattern flight suits being approved before WWII and worn for the duration of the war with minor modifications. There were also two piece varieties developed at the same time, which allowed more flexibility in fit and use.

This is a lovely service used condition heavy winter flight jacket, constructed from a blue twill fabric shell, with a blue velvet plush type material collar and lining. This extends part way into the sleeves as well, and really looks great. It features a plug in wired heating system, which still looks to be intact, having a wire on the interior that would probably connect to the pants portion of the set. There are also additional connectors at the ends of the sleeves for the use of heated gloves.

The jacket features a lovely embroidered Luftwaffe eagle on the right chest, which is correctly only sewn to the outer layer of fabric. We checked the snaps and all are STOCKO marked, a known supplier of snaps for the Luftwaffe during WWII. The main closure zipper is by RAPID, another known supplier, and retains the original leather pull tab. The the right sleeve zipper is by Elite, and all still has the original leather pull tab as well, while the left sleeve zipper is by CONMAR, a maker of zippers for the U.S. Military. This indicates that the left zipper was definitely replaced, but it definitely looks to be period. Based on the amount of wear on the jacket, it’s possible that it saw service late into the war, and captured parts were used to repair it. The zippers all still function correctly, though they definitely show wear. We were not able to find any other markings on the jacket.

Condition wise, this flying jacket has seen extensive use in service, leading to overall wear and staining on the fabric. There are small tears as well as a lot of wear through around the seams. The right arm shows a repaired tear on the underside, and there is also a lot of fraying at the very bottom of the jacket, as well as at the ends of the sleeves.

A lovely example of a Luftwaffe Heated Winter Officer’s Flying jacket, which looks to have seen very long service during the war, and possibly even afterwards! A great salty example, ready to research and display!

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 9.5″
Shoulder to sleeve: 24.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17”
Chest width: 20″
Waist width: 19″
Hip width: 19″
Front length: 27.5″

The Luftwaffe was the air force of Germany prior to and during World War II. Luftwaffe styles of uniform and rank insignia had many unique features between 1935 and 1945. By decision on February 26, 1935, the Luftwaffe was to be officially the third branch of the Wehrmacht as of March 1, 1935. The new Luftwaffe was faced with the problem of uniforms, as they wanted a uniform distinct from those of the other two branches of the Wehrmacht (Heer and Kriegsmarine) and also wanted a clear differentiation in dress of military and civilian flyers.