Germany, Luftwaffe. A Flak/Artillery Enlisted Personnel Service Tunic, by Brandenburger Kleiderfabrik

(Luftwaffe Waffenrock für Männer der Flak/Artillerie). An extremely well-preserved Luftwaffe Flak/Artillery Enlisted Personnel service tunic, constructed of dark grey wool twill. It features a collar fully trimmed along the outer edge with twisted and rolled red wool piping, flanked on each side by tabs constructed of red wool with buckram cores and measuring 40 mm (w) x 55 mm (l). Dual pebbled aluminum buttons flank the shoulder for the accommodation of straps, which have been lost to time. The cuff of each sleeve is rolled up to a depth of 165 mm and secured in place with pieces of machine stitching at both the front and back. Each breast features two pockets, all opening with horizontal flaps with reinforced buttonholes meeting pebbled aluminum buttons. Stitched onto the tunic above the upper right pocket is an insignia consisting of a dark grey backer bearing a machine-embroidered silver-grey Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, measuring 95 mm (w) x 50 mm (h) overall. It closes with five aluminum buttons on the right flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap. All buttons on the tunic are stamped on the reverse with a maker’s mark of “S. H. u. CO.” for Sohni, Heubach & Co., Idar-Oberstein, with the exception of the top breast button, which is marked “E. SCHNEIDER, LÜDENSCHEID”, as well as the shoulder buttons which similarly bear Schneider marks. The interior is fully encompassed by a grey cotton-blended liner which features a pocket located at the upper left breast flap. Stamped onto the same flap in black ink is a maker’s mark of “BRANDENBURGER KLEIDERFABRIK G.M.B.H., BRANDENBURG-HAVEL”. Underneath the maker’s mark are size dimensions, with an additional mark of “LBA39”. An additional narrow pocket is set into the lower portion of the right flap. Distributed around the interior of the collar and upper breast flaps are five blake bakelite buttons. The tunic measures approximately 440 mm across the shoulders, with an arm length of 560 mm, and an overall body length of 660 mm. Minor signs of wear are evident, including some material fatigue of the collar tabs, but the tunic is in an overall extremely fine condition.