Luftwaffe insignia question

[BowlofRice]

Hi, I've been thinking about this for a while...

The wing insignia above the breast pocket, a replacement for the cuff band featuring the same insignia, is a feature of Luftwaffe tunics made after 1973 (oddly, my Luftwaffe jacket is 1974 but doesn't have the wing insignia OR the cuffband).

However, from the beginning I thought that the wing insignia bears a resemblance to the Luftwaffe eagle and swastika from WW2 Luftwaffe uniforms (as if the other features of the Bundeswehr Luftwaffe uniforms weren't similar enought to the WW2 LW uniform! ). It is even in the same spot as the eagle was!

Also, I was watching a 2011 video of the Luftwaffenmusikkorps, and their schiffchen hats, unlike my older 1989-dated one, now feature the aforementioned wing insignia on it. However, it too is in the same position as the eagle found on WW2 Luftwaffe schiffchen hats!

My question is: Is this a coincidence or not?

I personally think it is not a coincidence, but I need some feedback from the authorities. I'm only good with NVA uniforms...

[usmedalman]

I am new to Bundeswehr collecting also, however I have been collecting military uniforms for 30 years and see many similarities between various militaries. In most militaries, the right breast is a common location for skill and specialty badges (I think the US is fairly unusual in that our skill badges -- para, medic, CIB, CAB, etc. are worn on the left breast).

Since Bundeswehr personnel don't automatically earn a Tätigkeitsabzeichen upon completion of their military trade school, I think it is more likely that the Luftwaffe chose this location for the generic airforce wings so those new airmen and women would have some identifiable insignia there until they could earn a Tätigkeitsabzeichen. I think this is supported by the fact that most Luftwaffe tunics of Feldwebel and higher rank seem to have replaced the generic Luftwaffe wings with a Tätigkeitsabzeichen.

I am probably wrong, but I think I read somewhere that you have to serve a minimium of six months in your job to qualify for a Tätigkeitsabzeichen plus pass some tests.

[Gordon Craig]

BowlofRice,

I don't think that anyone can answer your question about why the wing was mounted there. Possibly tradition. Possibly because flight wings were worn on the left side.

Regards,

Gordon

[RedCatcher1986]

BowlofRice,

I don't think that anyone can answer your question about why the wing was mounted there. Possibly tradition. Possibly because flight wings were worn on the left side.

Regards,

Gordon

From what I was always told it was always tradition hence why the uniforms look particularly the same as the WWII era ones its all tradition. Why try and correct something thats not broken, strip the swastika from it and revamp your insignia and on top of that throw in some of the greatest fighter aces of all time in positions of prestrige to lead the air force and wallah! Modern Luftwaffe

[Proud Kraut]

Good question! The answer is: Yes, it's a coincidence. (Otherwise you'd find wings at the Bw Army and Navy uniforms as well).
The Bw does not trace it's origin to the Wehrmacht! Please keep in mind the first uniforms of the Bw. Seems they wanted to avoid nearly everything in conjunction with former German Armies. The wing cuff bands were discontinued, after the Geschwader received cuff bands with their Traditionsnamen "Boelcke" etc. I think it was just the intention, to avoid "double use" of cuff bands but they didn't want to abandon wings completely. Wings are the symbol for Air Forces (and Airlines) in 99,9% of the nations of the world. Additionally I believe the release of the cuff bands should save a lot of money and should give the uniform a "more modern" look.

Lars