Germany, Luftwaffe. A Short Sleeve Blue Service Shirt

(Luftwaffe Diensthemd). A well-preserved Luftwaffe short sleeve blue service shirt, constructed of light blue cotton. It features a reinforced turned-down collar closing with a single bakelite button, and closes with a two thirds-length opening featuring four identical bakelite buttons on the right meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left. Stamped onto the right side of the openings is a black ink Luftwaffe inspection stamp of “L.B.A.B. 40” for Luftwaffenbekleidungsamt Berlin, 1940. The shirt features two pleated breast pockets, both closing with scalloped flaps with reinforced buttonholes meeting bakelite buttons. Stitched onto the right breast just above the pocket is a non-regulation Luftwaffe tunic eagle, constructed of a dark grey wool backer bearing a machine-embroidered silver-grey Luftwaffe eagle, measuring 95 mm (w) x 50 mm (h). The interior is plain with the exception of a black ink mark of “42” on the collar. It measures approximately 460 mm across the shoulders, with a sleeve length of 175 mm, and an overall body length of 675 mm. Minor issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include sporadic patches of soiling to the exterior, as well as cracking of the lower breast button which has resulted in the loss of approximately half of the bakelite. The shirt is in an overall near extremely fine condition.