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L000758 GEFREITER'S SERVICE TUNIC.
(Dienstbluse)BACKGROUND: The Reichsluftwaffe was official established on February 26TH 1935 as the third branch of service of the Armed Forces. On March 9TH 1935 the formation of the new Reichsluftwaffe was announced to the foreign press and on March 16TH conscription was reintroduced for all three branches of service. On May 21ST 1935 the Reichsluftwaffe designation was altered to Luftwaffe. The standard pattern service uniform was adopted by the Luftwaffe in March 1935, and was based on the uniform worn by personnel in the Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports League), a civilian forerunner of the Luftwaffe, as early as 1933, with minor modifications. The 1935 pattern uniform tunic was designated Tuchrock, (Cloth tunic), and was worn open at the neck. On November 11TH 1938 a new pattern tunic was introduced that had allowances for it to be worn closed at the neck. The 1938 pattern tunic was designated Anzugrock, (Uniform tunic), and was intended to replace the 1935 pattern Tuchrock and Fliegerbluse, (Flight Blouse). The 1938 pattern tunic eventually did replace the Tuchrock, but not the Fliegerbluse. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the Luftwaffe’s Verkaufsabteilung, (Air-Force Sales Department), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their uniforms from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase uniform items of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored uniforms although the price may have been restrictive. The different branches of service within the Luftwaffe were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Colors), with golden yellow being chosen for personnel serving with, Flieger, (Flight), and Fallschirm, (Paratroop), units which was generally displayed as collar piping for EM/NCO’s, (discontinued in March 1940), on the collar tabs and as piping on the shoulder strap/boards of the service tunic.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, 1935 pattern, Luftwaffe blue/grey, wool/rayon, blend construction tunic features a vertical, four button, front closure with small, fold back, lapels and a lay down collar. The tunic has four, pleated, front pockets with straight edged button down flaps. The breast pockets are the basic patch type while the hip pockets are the saddlebag type with expanding side panels. The right breast has a machine embroidered, first pattern, "droop-tailed", (circa 1934-1936/1937), Luftwaffe eagle clutching a canted swastika in it’s talons, in silver/grey cotton threads on a cut-out, blue/grey, wool base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the tunic. The straight cut, non-adjustable, sleeves have deep, fold back, French cuffs which are tacked in the upright position at both the inner and outer sleeve seams. One of the stitches to the right French cuff has come undone. The upper left sleeve has a bright silver/aluminum, waffle patterned, rank chevron mounted on an inverted, triangular, mottled blue/grey wool base. The chevron base is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. The lower left sleeve has a Motor Vehicle Drivers trade badge that consists of a Luftwaffe blue/grey wool circular base with a machine embroidered, stylized Luftwaffe eagle clutching a canted swastika in it’s talons, superimposed on the likeness of a vehicle radiator grill, all in silver/grey cotton threads. The trade badge base is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. There are stitch mark from where a cufftitle has been removed from the righ lower sleeve.
The side panels at the waistline each have four, vertically aligned, horizontal, thread loops and a central, vertical, slash for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The reverse of the tunic has a short, central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The tunic has sewn on shoulder straps in Luftwaffe blue/grey wool with golden yellow wool waffenfarbe piping. The shoulder strap retaining buttons are intact. The lay down collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The forward edge of the collar is trimmed in twisted, golden yellow, rayon cording. The collar has golden yellow wool collar tabs with a two, stamped, natural alloy rank "gulls" to each. The collar cording is handstitched in place while the collar tabs are machine stitched to the collar. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in grey cotton twill and has a horizontal slash pocket to the left breast panel. The interior side panels at the waistline each have a vertical, grey cotton twill strap with six stitched eyelets to each to secure the belt support hooks. The left breast lining is well marked with purple size inkstamps and the partially legible manufacturer’s name that includes, "Lucas jun.". The left breast lining also has an additional couple of black inkstamps that includes an unknown designation, "Fl. Gr. E", the date, "1935", and, "St.u. Wirtsch. Komp.", indicating Staff and Economic Company. The tunic is in overall good condition with light age and usage toning and chafe wear to the cuff and collar edges, and small areas of light to moderate moth grazing resulting in areas of lost nap and about a half dozen small holes. The buttons, are a combination the bright, silver washed, pebbled alloy and sheet metal types and are all still quite clean and bright. All but one button appears to have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly size 36" chest.GRADE ***1/2 PRICE $1,315.00
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