Original German WWII Luftwaffe Engineer Corps Unteroffizier NCO Fliegerbluse Uniform Tunic – dated 1939 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice German WWII Luftwaffe Engineer Corps Unteroffiziere (NCO’s) Four Pocket Fliegerbluse (Flight Blouse) Service Tunic, made from lovely Luftwaffe Fliegerblau (Flyer’s Blue) Blue Gray wool. This example, like most enlisted and Junior NCO tunics, was depot issued, and is marked KURZROCK / L.B.A. (S) 39 on the interior left chest. This indicates it was inspected at the Luftwaffebekleidungsamt (Air Force Clothing Office) in Sonneberg, Germany in 1939. This marking is only seen on pre and early war Luftwaffe items.

The fliegerbluse tunic features a four button front closure with a hook and loop closure at the color, and it has four squared pockets with square button-down flaps. The pebbled buttons on the tunic are all non-magnetic, most likely made entirely of aluminum. They have some number markings on the reverse, but no definitive maker marking, and are stitched directly to the uniform fabric. The right breast of the uniform has a correct embroidered NCO Luftwaffe eagle sewn in place with the correct stitching pattern. It is only stitched to the outer layer of fabric, so it is the original eagle installed on this uniform tunic.

The collar of this tunic has 10mm wide NCO Tresse flat silver piping going around the entire collar, correct for an NCO fliegerbluse. The attached Kragenpatten (Collar Flaps) are in Schwarz (Black), the correct Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for the Baupioniere (Construction engineer corps) and Luftwaffen-Pioniere (Air force engineer corps). The sew-in style Schulterklappen (Shoulder Boards or Epaulettes) have the same color piping, and a single row of 10mm NCO tress around the outside that is open at the ends without any rank “pips”. This indicates the junior NCO rank of Unteroffizier (Sergeant), which is confirmed by the collar insignia, which each show a single aluminum “gull wing” insignia.

The interior of the tunic is lined with blue gray light canvas around the body and in the sleeves, which shows only light wear. There are the previously mentioned markings above the inner left chest pocket, which have the size markings underneath:

41        44
96
70        62

There looks to be another LBA stamp across the opening for the pocket. It has the aluminum belt clips installed on their canvas straps, and a bandage pocket on the lower right waist by the front closure.

Overall condition is very good for the most part, though the collar and particularly the back of the right sleeve have suffered moth damage, which is very common due to the wool construction. This more than anything is one reason why the number of original German WWII uniforms is always decreasing.

A very nice Luftwaffe Engineer Corps Tunic, well marked and 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.