Original German WWII Luftwaffe Gefreiter HBT Reed Green M43 Service Tunic Dated 1944 - Removed Branch Insignia

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good service used condition Luftwaffe Mannschaften (Enlisted Man's) M43 "Drillich" fabric Herring Bone Twill cotton tunic, as introduced later in the war. It looks to have seen a good amount of use during the war, and at some point the branch of service insignia were removed from the collar, and we can see areas that are less stained at the edges where they used to be. These were depot issued, and we noted original maker markings on the reinforcement for the left sleeve, which as best we can tell reads as follows:-

LBA   44
43      44
96
72      64

"LBA" stands for Luftwaffebekleidungsamt, which means Air Force Clothing Office. This would indicate it was processed through there during 1944. The marking is quite faint towards the beginning, so we cannot make out which particular depot it was. The front features 4 pockets with square flaps, each retained by a button. The front closure features 6 pebbled buttons painted with the correct Luftwaffe fliegerblau (flyer's blue) color, along with a hook and loop collar fastener as well as a smaller button. Most of the buttons are magnetic, and they are all retained by circlips on the reverse. A few have a lot more paint than others, so they were most likely replaced.

The attractive Luftwaffe breast eagle is the correct enlisted embroidered type, and is very neatly hand stitched to the chest in a fashion typical of wartime German tailor work. It has a blue wool background, so it is the type that would usually be used on the wool uniform. The only other insignia on the uniform is a single tresse chevron on a blue backing, stitched to the left sleeve, indicating the rank of Gefreiter in the Luftwaffe.

Overall condition definitely indicates long use during the war, with fraying, fading, and other issues indicative of wear. The interior is fitted with a bandage pocket and belt clip straps made from rayon, which show some wear through on the bottoms. There are some holds to the exterior, as well as staining.

A lovely service used example, ready to display!

Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to sleeve: 23.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 15.5"
Chest width: 18”
Waist: 17"
Hip: 19"
Front length: 27.5"

More on Luftwaffe Drill Tunics
Most recruits previous to 1940 were issued a fatigue uniform (Drillichanzug) for basic training which they kept for work details, weapons cleaning and other duties likely to soil clothes. This was an unlined, insignia-less uniform made of linen or cotton herringbone twill (HBT) that typically had two buttonless patch pockets on the skirt; enlisted versions had a standing collar while NCO and officer versions had rise-and-fall collars. The fatigue uniform originally was undyed and therefore a color that ranged from white to oatmeal to cement grey. On 12 February 1940 the color was ordered changed to a bluish green called "reed-green."

Since the heavy wool feldgrau uniform proved to be oppressively hot in summer weather, especially in southerly latitudes, soldiers took to wearing their lightweight green fatigue uniforms in the heat. In about 1942 the Army regularized the practice: depots began issuing an official hot-weather four-pocket field uniform of feldbluse cut but made of the same reed-green HBT material. For the enlisted Heer, these were usually worn with collar insignia and national eagle. NCOs would typically wear the summer uniform (Sommerfeldanzug) with appropriate rank on their shoulder boards, but the collar braid seen on the wool uniforms was typically absent. Two models were approved for use in the Army, the first that was designed after the M40 feldbluse and a later model that removed the front pocket pleats and pocket flap scallops similar to the M43. From 1943 a double-breasted version based on the Panzerjacke was made for vehicle and assault gun crews. SS units never had an official unique summer uniform, and while some used the Army versions, most used the earlier dyed work fatigues without insignia. While commissioned officers did have bespoke summer uniforms made, there was no regulation summer field uniform.

The Luftwaffe, the air force of the German military during the Third Reich, was established in 1935. Over the next 10 years, Luftwaffe troops wore a huge variety of uniforms. Enlisted men generally wore uniforms issued from military depots. Most enlisted soldiers had wool trousers and a short jacket with two internal lower pockets, called a Fliegerbluse, as well as a dressier 4-pocket tunic, the Tuchrock. Officers wore the same general uniform styles, but as officers had to supply their own uniforms, they usually wore tailor made versions. There were also myriad varieties of specialized uniforms worn by certain units or in specific situations, from the tuxedo-style “gala” formal wear uniform of the pre-war period, to the plain coveralls worn by crews of anti-aircraft cannons. There were work uniforms, tropical and summer uniforms, and camouflage clothing for airborne troops and other Luftwaffe soldiers in ground combat. Flight crews had their own specialized gear, including leather jackets and warm, electrically heated suits. Most but not all Luftwaffe uniform jackets bore the Luftwaffe emblem of a flying eagle holding a swas.