A Luftwaffe Enlisted Man's Flight Blouse

The blouse is fabricated from a Luftwaffe bluish-gray wool. The shoulders are adorned with Unterfeldwebel shoulder straps, with matching bluish-gray wool uppers to that of the blouse itself, trimmed on all four sides with a strip of fine silver threading stitched in place via gray threading, the three edges trimmed in yellow piping, a reinforced button hole at the neck end and secured in place via a gray finished zinc button, each of the buttons with pebbled uppers and maker marked "R.D." on the reverse, the underside in bluish-gray wool, each strap secured in place via bluish-gray cotton and wool straps. Both sides of the collar at the opening have Gefreiter Flight Personnel collar tabs, each with two silvered stylized eagles mounted on a yellow wool field, while the edges of the collar are trimmed in angled yellow cord along the edge, complemented by a strip of fine silver threading stitched in place via white threading to the upper of the collar itself. There is a single hook and eye at the opening of the collar, ensuring a snug fit at the neck line, complemented by three black plastic buttons on the inside of the collar for placement of a protective liner. The right breast is enriched with a Luftwaffe eagle insignia in light gray on a bluish-gray wool field. There are three rows of vertically-aligned horizontal loops on the left breast, four in the centre, flanked by two on either side, for the placement of awards that have since been lost to time. There are two pockets, one on either side at the hip, each with an angled entry and incorporating a fold over flap with reinforced button hole, each pocket with a silvered aluminum button with a pebbled upper, the button on the right pocket maker marked with a "B" inside a circle and marked with a "37" inside a circle on the reverse, the button on the left pocket maker marked "R.D." and marked "37" on the reverse. The front has a vertical row of five midnight blue finished large plastic buttons sewn in place on the right side, facing an equal number of reinforced button holes on the left side. Protruding from the third button hole from the top is the ribbon of the Iron Cross 2nd Class, the ends of the ribbon sewn in place on the underside of the opening. Each sleeve has a short button down strap with a reinforced button hole, each with a silvered metal button with a pebbled upper, the button on the right sleeve is magnetic and is unmarked, the button on the left sleeve is non-magnetic and is maker marked "F&L" (Funcke & Brüninghaus, Lüdenscheid) on the reverse. The inside is lined in a gray cotton in selected areas, which includes the back, around the armpits and the pockets, with black plastic buttons at the top just inside the opening on both sides. Sewn in place and suspended from both armpits is a gray cotton strap, each strap with five small reinforced holes on one side only. There is a pocket sewn in place on both breasts, each with a gray plastic button, with a short gray cotton strap with reinforced button hole sewn in place above. Just inside the opening on the right side is a narrow gray cotton pocket with reinforced button hole and gray plastic button closure. In addition, there is a gray cotton strap sewn in place in the collar for hanging the blouse on a hook. The blouse measures 420 mm across the shoulders and 710 mm in length overall, exhibiting scattered mothing on the exterior, wear in the bluish-gray wool along the entry edge of both exterior pockets, along with soiling present on the Iron Cross 2nd Class ribbon and on the gray cotton lining and pockets on the inside. It displays a nice texture in the wool, quality workmanship, the stitching remaining intact throughout. As worn. (C:141)