Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice service used WWII German Wehrmacht Luftwaffe EM/NCO's Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß) with the correct leather belt, which looks to originally have been black. It is embossed with the wartime Luftwaffe straight tail eagle inside a laurel wreath on the front. A very ice aluminum construction box buckle with a pebbled background. The buckle is in good condition, and is a two piece crimped example with an attached front insignia, which has had two of the tabs break off, so it is a bit loose. There is also some deformation to the buckle body, and oxidation on the attachment claw, which is made from steel. The pebbling on the front is still good, with the insignia still sharp.

The belt itself measures about 35” from end to end, made from thick leather with the standard leather tab with 7 pairs of holes attached to it for size adjustment. Overall it shows significant wear from age and use, with the original black finish on the exterior almost completely removed. The stitching holding the attachment tab in place rotted out, and a leather thong was used in its place to secure the tab. It has a lot of cracking and some dry rot on the service. The end hook is aluminum and unmarked.

Under the adjustment tab is a boxed unit marking reading III. / Flak-Rgt. 9, or Third Company, 9th Flak Regiment. We were actually able to find information on this specific battery, which was "Formed 15.11.38 in Regensburg with 11. - 13. Batterien." For more information on this unit, please see this webpage: Flak-Regiment 9. 

Overall a very nice service used example of a hard to find WWII German Belt and buckle, with some great markings. Ready to research and display!

The Luftwaffe, the air force of the German military during the Third Reich, was established in 1935. Over the next 10 years, Luftwaffe troops wore a huge variety of uniforms. Enlisted men generally wore uniforms issued from military depots. Most enlisted soldiers had wool trousers and a short jacket with two internal lower pockets, called a Fliegerbluse, as well as a dressier 4-pocket tunic, the Tuchrock. Officers wore the same general uniform styles, but as officers had to supply their own uniforms, they usually wore tailor made versions. There were also myriad varieties of specialized uniforms worn by certain units or in specific situations, from the tuxedo-style “gala” formal wear uniform of the pre-war period, to the plain coveralls worn by crews of anti-aircraft cannons. There were work uniforms, tropical and summer uniforms, and camouflage clothing for airborne troops and other Luftwaffe soldiers in ground combat. Flight crews had their own specialized gear, including leather jackets and warm, electrically heated suits. Most but not all Luftwaffe uniform jackets bore the Luftwaffe emblem of a flying eagle holding a swas.