BACKGROUND: Formed in late 1932 the Deutscher Luftschutzverband (German Air Protection League), was a voluntary organization designed to provide civil air raid protection in large civilian centers. Shortly after Hitler ascension to power the Deutscher Luftschutzverband was restructured and placed under the supervision of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, (National Ministry of Aviation), under the control of Hermann Göring. On April 29^TH 1933 the Deutscher Luftschutzverband was renamed RLB, Reichs Luftschutz Bund, (National Air Raid Protection League), and was given status as an official national organization tasked with all aspects of civil air raid defence. The RLB remained a voluntary organization with a small cadre of paid, full-time uniformed officials to oversee the organizations functions until June 1935 when obligatory service was introduced. Only the most basic uniform and equipment items were supplied to the cadre personnel, with the rest having to be bought personally by members. The RLB version of the greatcoat was similar to the Luftwaffe greatcoat with minor variations and followed the basic design of the Imperial German army’s greatcoat. The Luftwaffe version of the greatcoat was first introduced by the DLV, Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports League), the secret civil forerunner of the Luftwaffe and was adopted for wear in the Luftwaffe on its inception in March 1935.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, private purchase, blue/grey, wool/rayon blend construction, double breasted style, full length, greatcoat with a subtle whipcord weave features fold back lapels and a large black badge cloth, lay down collar. The greatcoat has dual, vertical, parallel, rows of six, front closure buttons with corresponding button eyelets on both the left and right front panels, enabling the coat to be button either left or right handedly. The greatcoat has two, diagonally angled, slash, front, hip pockets with slightly angular flaps situated at the waistline. 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. The reverse of the greatcoat has a horizontal, half waist belt with dual retaining buttons at the waistline and a central, vertical, tail skirt vent with a four button closure. One of the tail skirt vent buttons is absent. The tail skirt vent runs from the half waist belt down to the bottom edge of the coat. The greatcoat has sewn on shoulder boards of four strands of twisted, bright, silver/aluminum, braid mounted on pale mauve wool bases. The shoulder boards should have two, small, silver/aluminum braid slides but they are absent. The shoulder board retaining buttons are intact. The lay down, black badge cloth collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar has the elongated, rectangular, pale mauve, wool collar tabs with a hand embroidered, opened topped, laurel leaf wreath in bright, silver/aluminum wire threads and two stamped, natural brass triple armed rank stars to each. The collar tabs are piped in fine, twisted, bright, silver/aluminum wire threads and are machine stitched to the collar. The interior of the greatcoat including the sleeves is fully lined in ribbed, grey rayon. The lining has a horizontal slash pocket to the left breast panel and a small, diagonally angled, slash to the reverse of the exterior left hip pocket for the dagger/sword hangers. The interior of the tunic also has a vertical, grey, rayon strap with a nickel/silver plated, tooled steel, friction clip, machine stitched to the left armpit seam for suspending the dagger/sword hangers. The greatcoat has no visible size, unit or manufacturer’s markings. The greatcoat is in overall very good condition with minor chafe wear to the cuff and collar edges and minimal age and usage toning. The front closure, reverse half waist belt, and the shoulder board buttons are a combination of the bright, silver washed, pebbled, alloy and magnetic sheet metal types while the tail skirt vent buttons are the molded black bakelite type. The pebbled alloy buttons retain all of their bright silver wash and all of the buttons appear to have their original stitching. The greatcoat is roughly size 42" chest. Scarce Luftschutz greatcoat.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $936.00