Bundesluftwaffe Uniforms

[Gordon Craig]

The plain back of the cuffband.

[Gordon Craig]

Klaus,

While can not show an actual Luft Wachregiment tuic, I can show some file pictures of the tunics in wear plus something extra.
The first picture is of the CO of the Wachregiment talking to two members of the 5th Company (Luft) of the Wachregiment. The NCO on the viewers left wears the parade dress. The officer in the centre of the picture wears the camoflague tunic the 5th Company wears during drill practice. I imagine this is to save wear and tear on the parade tunics from the rifles.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

A picture of the blue shield the officer in the centre is wearing on the left sleeve of his camo jacket. It is the crest of the 5th Company.

[Gordon Craig]

The 5th Company during parade practice.

[Gordon Craig]

The Colour Guard of the 5th Compnay during parade practice. Note that the officer on the Standard Bearers left wears the black embroidered badges on his camoflague jacket.

[Klaus1989]

What type of dress wears Feldjacke with Dienstuniform? I have seen photos of it on Musiker and other non-WB troops as well.

Interesting that you have LW tunic for them (although in storage) because Heer is all I ever see for sale. Your BW collection is truly impressive.

Klaus

[Gordon Craig]

Klaus,

Thanks for the kind words. I have never found a WB Heer tunic that I felt comfortable in buying. I'd like to have one as well as at least a cap tally for the Bundesmarine company of the WB.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Now that I am back from a week long holiday in Cyprus it is time to post some more items to this thread. I also hope to get some answers to questions from these next few posts. What I want to start talking about here is the Luftwaffe caps that used "paspelierung". Over the years I've had numerous collectors give me different dates when the practice of using coloured piping on hats started and stopped but no one could come up with a regulation or dates that totally satisfied me. It would appear, from dates of caps in my collection, that this practice started with the uniform changes in 1959/60 era or shortly thereafter. How long it lasted seems to be anyones guess. Perhaps someone reading this thread can give us some concrete dates for regulations and actual preiods of wear.
The hat I will start these posts with is a Schiffchen for wear by Mannschaften/Unteroffiziere. It has red "paspelierung" and is date in 1964.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

A side view of this cap.

[Gordon Craig]

Makers tag showing date of manufacture.

[SprogCollector]

Gordon,
I have a 1961-dated Luftwaffe sidecap which has the yellow piping -- which I thought was universally used? In comparing my cap to those you posted, the first item I see that raised questions (aside from the red piping) was the overlap of the piping shown in post #83. On my cap, and most other piped German caps, the overlap is typically at the very back of the cap. It really looks strange being on the side towards the front.

Were the Luftwaffe visor caps also piped? I'm looking forward to this thread since I wasn't aware of the use of branch piping within the Luftwaffe. I had assumed it was always yellow for collar tabs and caps for enlisted folks.

[Gordon Craig]

Sprogcollector,

The red you see sticking above the side flap of the cap is not where it over laps. The piping on this cap is a piece of material folded over something to make the part that sticks above the flap round. The open ends of this piece of folded material are then sewn to the inside of the flap. On my cap a section of the open end has been folded up instead of lying flat inside the cap and that is what you see on the foto. I should probably press it flat to improve the look but I only just received this cap a few days ago and haven't taken the time to do that.
Yes the visored caps were piped as well. It would appear that the different colours of paspelierung were discontinued, or at least regulations said it should be discontinued, in the 70s. When this regulation was promulgated the Mannschaften/Unteroffiziere caps would have only the yellow piping and officers only the silver piping. The visored caps with coloured piping can be found with both the bronze and the silver cap badge. Here is a picture from one of my reference books of a visored cap with red coloured piping. This is an land forces cap and not a luft one thus the light grey colour. I have some Luft caps with coloured piping but can not post them as they are in storage.

Regards,

Gordon

[SprogCollector]

Gordon,
I'm aware of the piped Army caps but have never come across a piped LW cap.

If piped caps were worn, did the Luftwaffe uniforms maintain the branch color on the collar tabs, as well -- i.e. red-piped cap and tunic with red collars? This was common practice during the TR era but I've always assumed that yellow piping/collars were used postwar.

I have a 1961-dated LW sidecap and the piping material appears attached to a piece of blue ribbon material -- which in turn is sewn to the interior side of the pulldown.

Were the piped caps a regulation item or something done unofficially? Should prove an interesing thread.

Here's my 1961 LW sidecap. Second image shows the yellow piping as integral to the blue ribbon. The ribbon material is what's actually sewn to the cap.

[Gordon Craig]

SprogCollector,

Your questions have caused me to take a really close look at the schiffchen I posted and I am afraid that I have made a mistake here. The caps is so faded it looks blue but on closer examination it is dark grey. I bought it as Luft cap and I guess that coloured my thinking. My applogese to all for making an incorrect post.
The luft collar tabs were never any other colour except yellow. According to my reference books, one says 62 and the other 63, Bundesluftwaffe visored caps, for Mannschaftenn/Unteroffiziere, were piped in yellow from that point on. It would appear that they were never piped like the land forces were.
I feel somewhat foolish here.

Regards,

Gordon

[SprogCollector]

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,
Finally picked up the bronze wing that was missing from my Luftwaffe Dienstmütze. This is one of my earliest LW caps -- 1960. This would have gone with your affenjacke.