Germany, Luftwaffe. A Flak/Artillery Oberleutnant Tunic & Breeches

(Luftwaffen-Artillerie und Flak-Truppe Waffenrock und Stiefelhose). An extremely well-preserved Luftwaffe Flak/Artillery tunic, constructed of dark grey wool twill. The collar is fully trimmed with twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire piping, and is flanked on each side by rank tabs. Each tab is constructed of red wool, trimmed with twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire piping, and bears dual hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire insignia with oak branches. They both measure 40 mm (w) x 65 mm (l). The shoulders are adorned with boards, each constructed of cardboard-reinforced red wool. Each board bears four bands of silver aluminum wire piping and is pinned with a gilded zink rank pip. They both measure 30 mm (w) x 100 mm (l) and are secured to the tunic by machine stitching at the outer edge and by a pebbled, silvered button on the interior edge. The cuff of each sleeve is rolled up to a depth of 165 mm and is held in place by dual pieces of machine stitching. Each breast flap has two pockets, all opening with stylized horizontal flaps with reinforced buttonholes meeting pebbled, silvered magnetic metal buttons. Stitched into the tunic above the upper right breast pocket is an officer’s insignia in the form of a dark blue wool patch bearing hand-embroidered silver aluminum wire Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, measuring 85 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). The left upper breast pocket features three sets of vertically-arranged threaded loops for the accomodation of decorations with vertical pinbacks. Pinned into one set of these loops is a Wound Badge in Silver, constructed of silvered zink and measuring 36.26 mm (w) x 43.87 mm (h). It is marked on the reverse with maker code “30” for the Vienna Mint. The tunic closes with four magnetic metal buttons on the right flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap. All magnetic metal buttons on the tunic are marked on the reverse with a Reichszeugmeisterei (RZM) logo and code “M5/267” for Gustav Körtel, Peterswald. The interior of the tunic features a complete dark grey rayon liner, transitioning into a pinstripe design through the arms. There is a single interior pocket located at the upper left breast, opening with a reinforced horizontal flap, along with a dagger slit at the bottom left, opening into the corresponding exterior pocket. The interior features are completed by a rayon suspension loop at the reverse of the collar. The tunic is unmarked and measures approximately 460 mm across the shoulders, with an arm length of 655 mm and an overall body length of 725 mm. Minor material fatigue is evident, and the right shoulder board button has been substituted with an aluminum replacement, but the tunic is in an overall extremely fine condition.

Accompanied by a pair of breeches, constructed of dark-grey cotton twill. The waistband features six belt loops and a single black bakelite button on the right, the latter meeting an integrated belt on the left. The fly closes with five black bakelite buttons on the right flap meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left. The breeches have two side pockets, each opening with a reinforced diagonal slits, and a single reverse pocket, opening with a stylized horizontal flap bearing a reinforced buttonhole meeting a black bakelite button. The ankle of each leg has a 280 mm-long vertical slit with nine sets of dual magnetic metal eyelets, with each slit closed by a drawstring. The interior waistband bears three black bakelite buttons, while the right pocket liner is marked with a size stamp of “52”. The breeches are otherwise and unmarked and measure approximately 390 mm across the waistband, with an inseam of 670 mm and an overall length of 1020 mm. Some material fatigue is evident, and the breeches are in an overall better than very fine condition.