Germany, Luftwaffe. A Jagdgeschwader 26 Flight Personnel Oberleutnant’s Service Tunic

(Dienstrock für Oberleutnant der Jagdgeschwader 26). A well-preserved Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader 26 Flight Personnel Oberleutnant’s service tunic, constructed of a dark blue-grey wool/rayon blend. It features a turned-down collar, transitioning into double breast lapels. The collar is trimmed along the outer edge with twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire piping, and is flanked on each side by tabs. The former are constructed of golden-yellow wool with buckram cores, trimmed with twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire piping, and bear two hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire gulls above oak wreaths of identical construction. Each tab measures 40 mm (w) x 60 mm (l) overall. The shoulders are adorned with boards constructed of cardboard-reinforced golden-yellow bases, topped with four bands of silver aluminum wire, and pinned with gilded rank pips. Measuring 30 mm (w) x 100 mm (l), each board is secured in place with machine stitching at the outer edge and with a pebbled magnetic metal button on the inner edge. Stitched onto the right cuff is a title constructed of a dark blue wool base, trimmed along both the top and bottom edges with machine-embroidered silvery-grey piping, with a central inscription of “JAGDGESCHWADER SCHLAGETER” in identical embroidery. The cuff title measures 36 mm in width. Each breast features two pleated pockets, all opening with horizontal flaps with reinforced buttonholes meeting pebbled aluminum buttons. Stitched onto the tunic just above the upper right pocket is an insignia consisting of a dark blue-grey wool base bearing a hand-embroidered Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika. The eagle insignia measures 90 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). The upper left pocket is overlaid by two sets of vertically-arranged threaded loops, with an additional set of horizontally-arranged loops, for the accommodation of decorations with vertical and horizontal pinbacks, respectively. The tunic closes with four pebbled and silvered buttons on the right flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap. Looped around the right shoulder board and uppermost breast button is an Officer’s aiguillette constructed of multiple rows of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire. The interior is fully encompassed by a dark blue-grey rayon liner, transitioning into a pinstripe design through each arm. It features a single interior pocket, located at the upper left breast flap and opening with a reinforced horizontal slit. An additional reinforced horizontal slit underneath the pocket accommodates an optional dagger hanger. Unmarked, the tunic measures approximately 470 mm across the shoulders, with an arm length of 560 mm, and an overall body length of 695 mm (h). Several tunic buttons have been replaced with period examples, the stitching of the left cuff has come undone with a hole through the material, and there is moderate soiling and material fatigue evident throughout. The tunic is in an overall very fine condition.