Germany, Luftwaffe. A Flight Personnel Unterfeldwebel Tropical Service Shirt

(Luftwaffe Tropischen Diensthemd). An extremely well-preserved Luftwaffe Flight Personnel Unterfeldwebel tropical service shirt, constructed of light tan-coloured cotton twill. The shirt features an integrated collar, and is flanked on each side by shoulder straps constructed of a tan-coloured cotton twill base, trimmed with golden-yellow piping, and bordered by machine-embroidered brown tresses. Each strap measures 45 mm (w) x 100 mm (l), is unmarked, and is secured to the shirt by an integrated loop at the outer edge and by a blackened, pebbled, non-ferrous metal button on the inner edge. The cuff of each sleeve is pleated and features a vertical slit with a reinforced buttonhole meeting a pebbled button. Each breast flap features a pocket, both of which open with a reinforced horizontal flap bearing a reinforced buttonhole, in turn meeting a zink button. Stitched onto the shirt above the right pocket is an insignia in the form of a tan-coloured triangular cotton patch bearing a machine-embroidered silver-grey Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika. The eagle insignia measures 110 mm (w) x 50 mm (h). The shirt closes with six zink buttons on the right flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap. The interior presents plain, with the exception of a black ink size stamp on the collar of “1”, indicating a size small, with a number of “38”. It measures approximately 430 mm across the shoulders, with an arm length of 560 mm and an overall body length of 820 mm. Loss of finish is evident to the buttons, along with minor material fatigue, but the shirt is in an overall extremely fine condition.