K18253 PROTECTIVE LEATHER JACKET & PANTS. (Lederjacke und Lederhose) BACKGROUND: Protective leather jackets, pants and coveralls were listed as special clothing and were issued to engine personnel, certain deck and bridge personnel and U-Boat personnel when engaged in specific functions. The protective leather jackets came in a variety of styles and colors for specific personnel. This style of protective leather jacket and pants were intended for use by engine personnel and were also utilized by certain small vessel personnel and artillery gunners. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Three-quarter length, multi-panel, grey leather construction jacket features a vertical, five button front closure with a single metal hook and eye at the neck and a small stand-up collar. The left breast of the jacket has a horizontal slash pocket with a straight edged overlapping flap. The jacket also has two, horizontal slash, forward hip pockets also with straight edged overlapping flaps. The straight cut sleeve cuffs have a horizontal, button holed, leather strap, machine stitched to the inside sleeve seam with two corresponding fit adjustment buttons near the outside sleeve seam. The reverse of the jacket has a central vertical seam with no tail skirt vent. The interior of the jacket is fully lined in heavy charcoal grey wool with black rayon lining to the sleeves. The interior right breast has a leather reinforced horizontal slash pocket. The sleeve lining has the addition of charcoal grey wool "storm cuffs" with tunnel looped elastics to the ends. The exterior of the jacket shows areas of light to moderate chafe wear revealing the natural tan of the leather which has started to stiffen up with age. The buttons are all the stamped magnetic sheet metal type with a vertically embossed fouled anchor on a horizontally ribbed field encompassed by a raised smooth ring and a simulated twisted rope like outer ring. The front closure buttons have a fire gilted finish while the cuff adjustment buttons have a field-grey finish and the majority of both are retained. The front closure buttons are uniquely if impractically attached with a wire cord being tied to both the top and bottom buttons and run through the looped shanks of the central three buttons. The cuff buttons appear to have been restitched. The jacket has no visible markings. The protective leather uniforms were intended to fit over the standard service uniform and were cut large as result although this example is roughly only a size 38" chest. The jacket comes with a pair of multi-panel, grey leather construction straight legged long pants. The pants feature a vertical, four button French fly with an additional metal hook and eye situated at the waistband. The pants have two, vertical slash, side seam pockets with vertically scalloped reinforcement stitching. The multi-panel construction results in a horizontal seam to both the front and reverse of legs just below the crotch area. The pants have straight cut, non-adjustable cuffs. The horizontally laid waistband rides slightly higher at the reverse and has the typical, "V" slash to the reverse center. The reverse of the pants have dual horizontal leather fit adjustment straps with a corresponding blued, dual pronged, open rectangular sheet metal buckle, situated just below the waistband. The interior of the pants are fully lined in light weight grey cotton. The interior lining has the remnants of a small white fabric label which in likelihood original had the printed manufactures name. The waistband retains three suspender attachment buttons to the interior and one to the exterior. The pants show light to moderate chafe wear through-out revealing spots of the underlying natural tan leather but they are still surprisingly pliable and supple. The buttons are a combination of the molded black and tan bakelite types and most appear to have been restitched. The pants have no visible markings. The pants are roughly size 32" waist.

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