BACKGROUND: The Reichsluftwaffe, (National Air-Force), was official established on February 26^TH 1935 as the third branch of service of the Armed Forces. On March 9^TH 1935 the formation of the new Reichsluftwaffe was announced to the foreign press and on March 16^TH conscription was reintroduced for all three branches of service. On May 21^ST 1935 the Reichsluftwaffe designation was altered to Luftwaffe, (Air-Force). The standard pattern service uniform was adopted by the Luftwaffe in March 1935, and was based on the uniform worn by personnel in the DLV, Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports Association), the clandestine, civilian forerunner of the Luftwaffe, as early as 1933, with minor modifications. The first HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), garments introduced for use by Luftwaffe EM/NCO personnel were the blue/grey drill and black work uniforms introduced in April 1936 and July 1937 respectively in order to conserve wear and tear on the wool and wool blend uniforms. Although the drill and work uniforms were designed for different functions both garments were almost identical in cut and construction. The HBT garments were favored by the troops and began to be worn in the field as a summer uniform. Generally the HBT garments utilized as the summer combat blouse followed the basic modifications of the standard issue wool garments. Regulations of September 27^TH 1943 abolished the blue/grey and black HBT uniforms replacing them with a reed green HBT uniform as utilized by army personnel. The alteration to the reed green HBT uniforms was a time and cost saving measure eliminating the need for different colored uniforms for Luftwaffe and Army personnel. 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. When utilized as a drill or work tunic the garments were issued with no insignia and only EM/NCO’s sleeve rank and collar trim insignia were applied to donate the wearer’s rank. Generally the insignia worn on the HBT combat field blouses consisted of a breast eagle and shoulder boards or straps and regulations dictated that collar tabs were not to be worn on the drill/work tunics and later on the reed green field blouses, although the regulations were not always adhered to. The drill/work and combat HBT uniforms were utilized for the duration of the war with minor modifications. Although the colors of raw grey, blue/grey, black and reed green were the official colors other colors were also utilized on a limited basis.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Post September, 1943, reed green, cotton/rayon blend construction field blouse with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave features a vertical, six button, front closure with a single, magnetic, metal hook and eye positioned at the forward neckline, small fold back lapels and a lay down collar. The field blouse has four, front pockets with straight edged, button down flaps. The breast pockets are the pleated, standard patch type while the hip pockets are the non-pleated, saddle bag type with expanding side panels. The right breast has a machine embroidered, second pattern, (Circa 1936/1937-1945), Luftwaffe eagle, with out-stretched wings, clutching a canted swastika in one talon, in silvery/grey rayon threads, mounted on a cut-out reed green cotton/rayon base with an HBT weave. The eagle is machine stitched to the field blouse in the typical zig-zag fashion and small spots of the stitching have come undone. The side panels of the field blouse each have three, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets positioned to either side at the waistline for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The reverse of the field blouse has a short, central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The straight cut sleeves have dual-ply, simulated French cuffs, and a small, vertical, slash to the outside seams with a single, stitched button eyelet and dual, corresponding fit adjustment buttons to each. The upper left sleeve has a bright, silver/aluminum, waffle patterned, Gefreiter’s rank chevron mounted on an inverted, triangular, field-grey wool base which is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. The field blouse has the fabric, shoulder strap, retaining loops and alloy buttons intact but the slip on shoulder straps have been removed. The lay down collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse and the right side has a horizontally extended, fabric tab with a single, stitched button eyelet with a corresponding button positioned on the reverse of the left, fold back lapel, for a secure closure in inclement weather. The field blouse has no collar tabs or any evidence that they were ever applied, as per regulations. The interior of the field blouse is partially lined in grey rayon, at the shoulder seams, around the arm openings and part way down the side panels. The interior side panels at the waistline each have a vertical, grey rayon strap with six stitched eyelets to each, to secure the belt support hooks. The lower, forward, right, tail skirt has a vertical, grey rayon, field dressing pocket with a single button closure. The interior, lower left, front panel is well marked with black size inkstamps and a faint, RB number. Of Note: The RB numbers, Reichs Betriebnummer, (National factory code numbers), were introduced in late 1942 and were intended to replace the manufacturers marks on garments and equipment to conceal the manufacture’s name and location from the allies, to prevent bombing raids on German industrial factories. The field blouse is in overall very good condition with numerous small picks and pulls, as is typical with this type of material, and minor age and usage toning. The front closure, exterior pocket, and shoulder strap buttons are a combination of the Luftwaffe blue/grey painted, pebbled alloy and magnetic sheet metal types and are secured to the field blouse by opened "S" rings. Although intended to be removable the shoulder strap buttons are stitched to the field blouse. All the buttons retain the vast majority of their original blue/grey paint. The cuff, collar closure and the field dressing pocket buttons are the molded, grey bakelite type and all appears to have their original stitching. The field blouse is roughly size 42" chest.