Couple of stripped luftwaffe tunics

[PATMAN]

I want to restore these but don't really know if I should. ONE HAS GHOST OF LUFTWAFFE COLLAR TABS/EAGLE/CUFF TITLE. Although it came from a house clearing in Boppard Germany, it has also the ghosts of army tabs and an army eagle so...reissue? transfer? ONE HAS GHOST OF LUFTWAFFE TABS AND BREAST EAGLE. THE FLYER'S BLOUSE WAS APPARENTLY FOR A TALL FELLOW.

[NickG]

The tan tunic is a Heer (Army) pattern manufactured post Italian surrender in Italian tropical cloth. If it has ghosts of LW insignia it was either incorrectly restored (and stripped) or period (re)issued to LW (and later stripped).
The Fliegerbluse is obviously LW. Nice catch!

[PATMAN]

Here is a pic of the cuff title ghost stitches



..and more details...







Yes, my hope is that somehow this soldier transferred from one to the other or the tunic was rebadged during the war. It definately had a cuff title and the luft tabs, which might make it HG but the army insignia was apparently em style.

[Leroy]

I personally would restore it as LW. Some time ago, I posted the same type tunic, which was badged with LW insignia, but showed slight traces of an earlier Army eagle. The LW insignia was clearly factory sewn with the same thread used to assemble the tunic, so my theory was that it was originally made as an Army tunic, but redone with LW insignia at the factory. Perhaps a change in work order or some other reason, but the tunic and insignia were 100% right and very close to mint.

[NickG]

I personally would restore it as LW. Some time ago, I posted the same type tunic, which was badged with LW insignia, but showed slight traces of an earlier Army eagle. The LW insignia was clearly factory sewn with the same thread used to assemble the tunic, so my theory was that it was originally made as an Army tunic, but redone with LW insignia at the factory. Perhaps a change in work order or some other reason, but the tunic and insignia were 100% right and very close to mint.

I agree its a possibility. When things were starting to get chaotic towards the end, they used whatever was available (because of supply problems), like the 2 examples shown on WAF of Polizei tunics which were period badged as Heer.
So it did occur.....
BUT because of the blue-ish ("grau-blau") late war pebbled buttons "einheitz knopfen"(as opposed to field grey) which are misleading to some collectors, they might decide to restore their stripped tunics incorrectly... thinking its a LW piece, so they add LW insignia...
A lot can happen in 65+ years!!!

[Leroy]

A lot can happen in 65+ years!!!

I would certainly agree.

In the case of the tunic I was talking about, however, the "re-badging" was obviously factory done, using the same thread and stitch patterns employed when the tunic was manufactured. Possible that someone restored it after the war, but, in my mind, highly improbable, given the skill of the work and the length of time it has been in a collection. Can never be sure, of course, but that can be said of many, many things.

[PATMAN]

Would I need to find the blue-gray thread to sew on the insignia properlY?

If so, is the stuff one sees on ebay actually period thread or fake stuff from Hong Kong?

[Leroy]

I'm sure there must be suppliers of period German thread, but I'm afraid I don't know where to point you. You might want to check on this forum under "conservation".

[PATMAN]

I'm glad to know you have prior experience with the same army-to-luftwaffe insignia change. I believe this was period done and then I suppose removed by the vet afterwards...