Bundesluftwaffe Uniforms

[Guardian 5]

Gordon - Great find! It's good to see that old school craftsmanship on display.

Do you have pants and shoes for this ensemble?

The field grade "bus driver's" hat shown in post #11 was made by the same manufacturer as yours, post #27.

All in all, a great example of an early four pocket tunic with pointed epaulettes.

Attached for reference is a c.1968 picture of then Bundesluftwaffe Inspector General LTG Steinhoff. Note the U.S. Air Force senior pilot wings on his left pocket, underneath his ribbon rack topped by the KC w/oakleaves. Note also the rounded epaulettes and the embroidered BLW wings on the right pocket.

I'm on the road again this week, take care - TJ

[speedytop]

Hi,

I had to wear the "Affenjacke" last in 1965.

We had normally to wear the work uniform (Arbeitsanzug), and when we went to the canteen, for breakfast, lunch or supper, we had always to coat the "Affenjacke".

Regards
Uwe

[SprogCollector]

Gordon,
The cap that goes with your double-breasted jacket is either the service dress cap or the M-43 style dienstmütze. I have some scans from a very old uniform manual sent to me by a friend in Germany. Drawings but the cap shown is the M43.

[Klaus1989]

Hi,

I had to wear the "Affenjacke" last in 1965.

We had normally to wear the work uniform (Arbeitsanzug), and when we went to the canteen, for breakfast, lunch or supper, we had always to coat the "Affenjacke".

Regards
Uwe

Do you know when four pocket tunics (Dienstanzug) were first introduced into service? I had read once it was 1958. Interesting that Affenjacke continued to be worn into 1960s - learned something new. Were you in Heer or Luftwaffe?

I had the oppurtunity few months ago to talk to a local man who served in Bundesluftwaffe in administrative position in 1980s and early '90s. Outside of this timeframe though.

regards
Klaus

[Gordon Craig]

Gordon - Great find! It's good to see that old school craftsmanship on display.

Do you have pants and shoes for this ensemble?

The field grade "bus driver's" hat shown in post #11 was made by the same manufacturer as yours, post #27.

All in all, a great example of an early four pocket tunic with pointed epaulettes.

Attached for reference is a c.1968 picture of then Bundesluftwaffe Inspector General LTG Steinhoff. Note the U.S. Air Force senior pilot wings on his left pocket, underneath his ribbon rack topped by the KC w/oakleaves. Note also the rounded epaulettes and the embroidered BLW wings on the right pocket.

I'm on the road again this week, take care - TJ

TJ,
No pants, shoes etc. I consider that I was lucky to get the hats with the tunic. Pants would have been the icing on the cake but as with most uniforms pants are still the hardest to get. More on "Stienhoff" tunics later in the week. Have a nice trip and looking forward to your posts when you return.

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Sprogcollector,

Thanks for posting the picture from the reference book. I have the same picture and was hoping someone could post the real thing with markings etc. I guess we will have to wait for that!

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Do you know when four pocket tunics (Dienstanzug) were first introduced into service? I had read once it was 1958. Interesting that Affenjacke continued to be worn into 1960s - learned something new. Were you in Heer or Luftwaffe?

I had the oppurtunity few months ago to talk to a local man who served in Bundesluftwaffe in administrative position in 1980s and early '90s. Outside of this timeframe though.

regards
Klaus

Klaus,

Thanks for your question re the date of issue for the four pocket tunic. I neglected to put that in my post #14 when I stared with the four pocket tunic. It came into service in 1958 as you said. A new rank system was also introduced on 1 April 1958.

Regards,

Gordon

[speedytop]

Hi,

first, only the short tunic (see in Post 33 picture 1 and 4) is a "Affenjacke", not the tunic No. 3 in Post 33.

Second, it changed to the four pocket tunic in 1957.

Klaus, my appointment was the "Heer".


Regards
Uwe

[Gordon Craig]

The next noticable changes to the Bundesluftwaffe uniforms took place in the 1962/63 time period when the shape of the shoulderboard changed. The uniform illustrated below is that of Generalmajor Wolfgang Schenck holder of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

A closeup of the shoulderboard. The rank insignia on this uniform is all done in gold thread.

[Gordon Craig]

A closeup of the collar tabs.

[Gordon Craig]

Label on the interior of the tunic.

[Gordon Craig]

Markings in the interior left breast pocket.

[Gordon Craig]

The cuffband is machine sewn to the sleeve and the interior of the sleeve is lined with blue nylon The cuffband is not sewn through the nylon cuff lining.

[Gordon Craig]

The pants that came with the tunic. I won't post the markings on the trouser pockets as they are too faint to show up in a photo but they are excatly the same as those in the tunic.