Luftwaffe LW Jackets I - Summer jacket, the "Great White"

[Bill Bourque]

GW

[Bill Bourque]

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[Bill Bourque]

Close up of the machine sown breast eagle. Bill

Edited February 23, 2007 by Bill Bourque

[Paul R]

Thanks for showing these amazing photos. For something that was underground for so long, it looks to be in great shape! Were there remains inside of the jacket when it was found or was it being stored somewhere within the cockpit when the plane was shot down?

[François SAEZ]

Thanks for showing these amazing photos. For something that was underground for so long, it looks to be in great shape! Were there remains inside of the jacket when it was found or was it being stored somewhere within the cockpit when the plane was shot down?

Now we have something to discuss (not to argue through a pissing contest)

Like Bill, I have those pics for some times now, have played with them (enlarge, compared, reverted the colors ....) and my opinion is that I am far from thinking that this relic is a GW.

I may be wrong and apology in advance but looking at the photos can we say for sure that this jacket was white from the begining and not a "more regular" blue one which has lost its original color

Discussion opened

[Jos Le Conté]

While I was looking if I could find a pic of a GW with blue NCO eagle the same thought crossed my mind...

Might be a bit too early perhaps to state that all GW's we have seen have the original applied white eagle or no eagle, plus I've seen a few examples with a hand-applied officer's eagle sofar.

I've never seen a GW with a original applied blue NCO eagle sofar, so I can share your thoughts that this might be a blue jacket which lost all its color through some kind of process...

Jos.

[GdC26]

Francois alerted me to this excellent thread. Studying the pics of the GW Bill Bourque posted, I noted some differences in construction between that jacket, and the ones shown in photographs my mentor in this field kindly shared with me.

Firstly, all of these pics seem to confirm Jos?assesment that the eagle on original GW?s comes with a hite backing. Secondly, it strikes me that whilst the jacket shown in hte pics posted by Bill has the usual cotton reinforced front zipper and woolen waistband also found on the blue summer LW jacket, the white jackets in the pics I will show seem to have a solid woolen waistband, and therefore seem to be of the pullover type.

Hope this is of some use,

Regards,

Sandro

[GdC26]

Pic # 2

[GdC26]

Pic # 3

[GdC26]

Pic # 4 - Close up of the man on the left

Edited February 24, 2007 by GdC26

[GdC26]

Pic # 5 - The characterstics of the jackets seem consistent throughout all of these pics.

[GdC26]

Pics # 6 and 7: main pic and close up. Again, notice the "solid" waistband.

[GdC26]

Pics # 8 and 9, showing details of the jacket?s construction. All of the pics I have posted appear to show (1) white backed eagles; (2) solid waistbands and (3) the presence of a mappocket on the left upper breast. An exception to (2) appears to be the jacket of Werner M?lders shown in Francois second post: but also in that pic, the zipper (if it runs to the bottom of the jacket) seems to lack the cotton reinforcements present on the jacket shown in Bill?s pics.

I?ll be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Regards,

Sandro

[François SAEZ]

So far so good

Thanks all, seems Sandro gave us something to discuss

[Jos Le Conté]

I agree that the ones with the full length zippers lack the 2 strips of cloth and this feature will make these jackets unique IMO ...

Jos.

[Jos Le Conté]

Here's one with hand-applied bullion eagle..

Jos.

[Bill Bourque]

Hello Jos, heres another pic and it might be the same pilot/eagle. Bill

[J Temple-West]

Well, I'm seeing at least three versions of this jacket, this combined with the different eagles would suggest different makers (perhaps private purchase Vs official issue?) leaving a lot of research to do! A very interesting topic.

[Jos Le Conté]

Yup,it's the same guy, Bill..

I still see 2, John..

The bullion eagle is a hand-applied one, done by the owner or fieldtailor...

Another point is that these jackets have,or better to say had a "left" and "right" collar....

Jos.

Edited February 24, 2007 by Jos Le Cont

[J Temple-West]

Another point is that these jackets have,or better to say had a "left" and "right" collar....

Exactly, Jos! And some with buttons, some with press studs. Some with the tab, some without. It's certainly frustrating not having any "live" examples to work with....

[Jos Le Conté]

Plus I've found 2 other pics of jackets with added fur collars ..

Jos.

[Jos Le Conté]

Compared with the blue Summer jacket..

Jos.

[Bill Bourque]

Hello, here is photo of Walter Oesau on the occasion of his 100th victory party. Im reasonably certain I have seen an up close photo of him that was taken in color on this occasion. Somewhere, some book has that color picture. Ive looked in Der Adler magazines from around that time and been unsuccessful. It has a pretty good close up of the breast eagle and as I mentioned before the eagle thread appeared very silvery. Or it just maybe poor memory on my part. Bill

[Jos Le Conté]

Bill, I think these eagles were made of some kind of silky thread which gives them a silvery look..

Jos.

[François SAEZ]

Bill, I think these eagles were made of some kind of silky thread which gives them a silvery look..

Jos.

yup