WW1 leather flight jacket

[Simon B]

Collar, you can see the holes in the leather where the fur was.

[Simon B]

Labels, doesn't show it too well, but looks like the same thread.

[Simon B]

Collar fastener

[Simon B]

Ditto

[Simon B]

Inside pocket & button

[Simon B]

A button and the way it is threaded. No other markings in jacket apart from the 2 labels.

[Sonderkommando]

Hi Simon,
Nice jacket and I would say without a doubt military issue. It is virtually identical to mine with only a few minor differences (Mine has leather inside the inner pocket, mine only has the horizontal seam to the back of the sleeve on the lower arm, etc.)
The reason I say military issue is that they both have the hook and eyelet at the throat, blanket liners, and the square white tag inside with a single numeral which means nothing if it was a civilian coat.
Where the "skinnarland" label is sewn, does the stitching go through the back of the coat?
I feel this "skinnarland" company may have purchased military surplus clothing and just added the label as the quality is definately military and not civilian.

Cheers,
Brett

[Simon B]

Brett,
Stitching does NOT go through the back of the jacket. The inner pocket on mine has the leather piping and aslo on the front of the pocket on the side is leather for about a inch form the top. Also all the pocket linings are a different material.

[Sonderkommando]

Simon,
I'm not really sure what you want me to say?

The jackets have some slight differences as you can see. The zig-zag stitching is different on yours, the stitching around the collar is different on yours, the inside of the inner pocket is different on yours, the seams on the sleeves is different on yours, and it has the "skinnarland" label on it.

I know I am happy with my jacket and I am sure it is correct military issue from WW1.
I think yours is okay as well and maybe just military surplus that has had the label added to be re-sold during the post WW1 period.

Regards,
Brett

[Dave Mosher]

Brett

I don't believe this is a "military issue" WW1 german jacket. These jackets were typically used for both kraftfahr and aviation units. To me, the two most telling items that are missing on your jacket that are on issue jackets are the two vertical pockets just below the chest and the non-military shoulder straps. EM kraftfahr or aviation boards would be in leather, but would stiff with a metal script "K" or prop and would look like cloth straps that come to a point. If the jacket had been "modified" for use with an officer, there would be loops near the should seam for the attachment of boards. Just my opinion.

Regards

Dave

[Sonderkommando]

Dave,
Do you believe these jackets are civilian issue?
Can you give your opinion on why the liners are blanket material and what the square white label with the single numeral is in regards to a civilian jacket.
Also, can you provide a pic of the jacket you described as being a military issue jacket.

I have provided a pic of Richthofen with the jacket I think you are refering to, but these jackets are rare to see in period photos if they really are the only official military issue jacket there was. They should have been worn by many aviators if they were standard military issue.

If anybody can post pics of the jacket Simon and myself has posted from anytime between WW1 and up to the end of WW2 then I would be grateful as I am now curious as to when and for what these jackets were used for.

Thanks,
Brett

[Tony & Kaiser]

Do you believe these jackets are civilian issue?
Can you give your opinion on why the liners are blanket material and what the square white label with the single numeral is in regards to a civilian jacket.Also, can you provide a pic of the jacket you described as being a military issue jacket.

Personally, I am not aware of an "official issued" jacket. As far as I was aware, only the two-piece cloth flight suit was actually issued. Everything else was individiual or unit purchase. Here is my example below, it appears to be of the era, but really, without direct documentation from a family attributed to a Flieger, these could be driving coats, flight coats, who knows?

[Sonderkommando]

Hi Tony and Kaiser,
Thanks for posting.

I have a link to a thread about repro leather coats and at the bottom it says about a company called "Eastman" that made a copy of a WW1 german aviators coat which I assume is based on an original. That style of the coat is the same as the ones pictured here except for the addition of a belt for civilian wear. It is not conclusive proof but it certainly says this style of coat is a German WW1 aviators coat.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/printthread.php?t=3045

I will try and find some period pictures of this style of coat being used in WW1 as I have never doubted that it is what it is.

Cheers,
Brett

[Mainemilitaria]

Bringing back the dead alittle....
but I just purchased a nearly identical unidentified Fur collar leather jacket like Brett's #1, 2, 3,....mine has the same stencil #3 stamped inside, except mine's directly onto the "blanket" lining...no sewn tag. Mine also has a one pc. upper back panel (like Simon's), and has small stamped holes in the leather shoulder straps where a device or number "would go" but gone or never fitted.....Everything says "Military" to me,
Everything says German.....certianly looks like what the well dressed WW 1 German Aviator is wearing (or similiar!).....

Has anyone learned anything new about these......? Are they definately WW 1 German?, Civilian?, something else?......any new information. Much appreciated.
John G.
Mainemilitaria

[VtwinVince]

German flying personnel and motorcycle personnel were issued a particular leather jacket, and yours is not one of them. I have one named to a pilot from Jasta Boelcke, which has had a fur collar added and officer's buttons. These jackets are distinctive, and very rare. It is possible that yours is a private purchase item, but this is merely conjecture. I like your fabric from the DR1, very nice piece.