Germany, Luftwaffe. A Channel Flight Suit By Loutre A.g.

(Luftwaffe Fluganzug). This is an extremely well-preserved Luftwaffe Channel flight suit, constructed of field-grey cotton twill, featuring a jacket with matching pants. The jacket has a downturned collar with a hidden strap, held in place by a grey bakelite button, meeting two buttons on the opposite collar, allowing for an adjustable fit. The tops of both arms are adorned with a machine-embroidered rank insignia featuring a pair of white wool wings, measuring 100 mm (w) x 26 mm (h) indicating a rank of Unteroffizier. The jacket is closed by a functional metal zipper, marked “ZIPP”, with a single brown magnetic metal snap button at the top and two at the bottom. The cuffs of each sleeve are adjustable and feature a reinforced buttonhole meeting two dark grey bakelite buttons. The right breast feature a machine-embroidered, off-white Luftwaffe-style eagle clutching a mobile swastika, measuring 90 mm (w) x 42 mm (h). To the left of the eagle is a vertical brown leather strap, held in place by three rows of stitching, forming into two loops. The left breast has a single pocket, opening with a reinforced vertical slit. The interior of the jacket has two magnetic metal buckles at the bottom of the breast flaps. The arms are lined with a dark-grey rayon material with a high sheen and silky texture. The is a loop stitched into the interior of the collar for hanging the jacket on a hook when not in use. Stitched behind the loop is a slate grey label with gold machine-embroidered thread inscription reading “LOUTRE A.G., SOFIA. 1W. WASOW-20.”. The jacket measures approximately 422 mm across the shoulders, with an arm length of 594 mm and total body length of 652 mm. There is some rusting of the magnetic metal snap buttons, but the jacket is in an otherwise extremely fine condition.

The jacket is accompanied by its original pants, constructed of an identical field-grey cotton twill. The waistline features four rear blake bakelite buttons, with two lanyard-style loops with metal buckles stitched into the material. The pants are closed with two slate grey bakelite buttons meeting reinforced buttonholes, on top of a functional metal zipper, marked “ZIPP”, with brown leather pull tab. There are a further two metal buckles stitched into the pants at each side of the zipper. The front of the pants has two vertically-arranged side pockets, opening with functional metal zippers marked “RAPID”. There are a further two large pockets at the front of the thigh area, opening with reinforced horizontal flaps and closed by an arrangement of three brown magnetic metal snap buttons. The inside of each pocket has a brown leather strap and green braided thread lanyard. There are a further two small pockets on the right leg with an identical button and lanyard arrangements. The left leg has an additional vertically-arranged zippered pocket with interior brown leather loop. The ankles of both legs have a vertical slit closed with a functional metal zipper marked “D.R.P.”, with brown leather pull tab. The interior of the pants has a partial purple rayon liner with felt reinforcement. The waistband has a loop for hanging the pants when not in use. The waistband has a cotton-blended, off-white label with embroidered inscription clearly reading “RB-Nr. 0/0708/0001, Größe 1a, Lieferjahr 1944”. The pants measure approximately 465 mm across the waist, with an overall length of 1042 mm. There is some rusting of the magnetic metal snap buttons which has stained the surrounding material, but the pants are in an otherwise extremely fine condition.