LW / FJ Armband - story behind...

[jani_tiainen]

Hello,

Attached pictures of the arm band currently for sale in web auction. I do not know about its authenticity (eagle looks weird for me(?))
, but I am interested in the story seller is using:

He states that ithis s FJ Arm band, Which was used by German paratroopers to identify themselves and avoid "friendly fire" from germans. Is there such FJ Arm band? Is this story true? If so did they use just normal LW arm bands as this looks like?

I am lost ...

Jani

[jani_tiainen]

Sorry about bad pictures...

[Chris]

The seller's story is complete crap. Armbands of this design were issued to aircrews who operated out of airbases in Germany. German aircrews who had to ditch or bail out over German soil were to wear these once on the ground. Because Allied bombing killed so many German civilians, anger towards Allied aircrew ran high amongst the German civilian population, and German aircrews were occasionally mistaken for downed Allied aircrews and beaten, or sometimes killed, by German mobs. Hence the armbands, so German aircrews would be spared this treatment at the hands of their own people. They were never used by Fallschirmjäger. Oh, and the one pictured is a bad fake.

[jani_tiainen]

I appreciate your reply! Many Thanks.

I had still time to inform bidders so at least one stupid "barn found" is now dismissed...

Jani

[Willi Z.]

Would originals be made from yellow fabric?

[Chris]

Yes, originals were made on yellow fabric. I had one in 1967 that my neighbor brought home from the war. However, the one depicted in this thread is a copy.

[Laurence Strong]

Looks lkie some one ripped up a bed sheet!

[Mikey]

armband

=LaWhat do one of these armbands sell for?
thanks
Mikeurence Strong]Looks lkie some one ripped up a bed sheet![/QUOTE]

[Chris]

Mikey: Maybe $50.

Lawrence: Right, the fabric used for this fake is silly. Remember, cotton is not grown anywhere that Germany controlled or had economic access to after 1943. Originals of these armbands are made of linen, or linen/rayon blend. Unlike cotton, linen can be grown in western and central Europe. The critical shortage of cotton is the reason for the introduction of so much HBT and other linen/rayon (cellulose) fabrics during the war, and what little was available was not wasted on such low industrial priorities as emergency escape kit armbands.

[HOLMZEY]

Armband

here my arm band.

[Willi Z.]

here my arm band.

Yes, that is an original. Not worn by FJs.