Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Medical Corps

[Paul R]

Luftwaffe Medical Corps

The Medical Branch of the Luftwaffe was one of the original career fields present when the Luftwaffe came out into the open on March 01, 1935.

The standard waffenfarbe for the Luftwaffe Medical branch was cornflower blue. When attached to the Hermann Goering Division and the Luftwaffe Field Division, the solid blue collar tabs and shoulder boards were to be retained, by order(although as most rules, this one seemed to have been broken from time to time).

These men and officers filled roles ranging from direct patient care in the field to research and development of medications and procedures to drafting health awareness cartoons. Dentists were also included in the medical corps.

Ranking nomenclature:

Enlisted:

Sanitatssoldat- soldat

Sanitatsobersoldat- Oberschutz

Sanitatsgrefeiter- Grefeiter

Sanitatsobergrefeiter- Obergrefeiter

Sanitatsunteroffizier- Unteroffizier

Sanitatsunterfeldwebel- Unterfeldwebel

Sanitatsfeldwebel- Feldwebel

Sanitatsoberfeldwebel- Oberfeldwebel

Sanitatsstabsfeldwebel- Stabsfeldwebel

Officer:

Assistenzarzt- Leutnant

Oberarzt- Oberleutnant

Stabsarzt- Hauptmann

Oberstabsarzt- Major

Oberfeldarzt- Oberstleutnant

Oberstarzt- Oberst

Generalarzt- Generalmajor

Generalstabsarzt- Generalleutnant

Generaloberstabsarzt- Generaloberst/Head of Medical Services

The Luftwaffe used trained Officials for medical ancillary services. The specialties can be recognized by the nebenfarbe on the shoulder boards.

Apple Green- Pharmacists

Orange- School Special Service, Librarian Service, Pharmacist(post 1940), Psychologist Service, Veterinary Service, Luftwaffe War Science Section.

More information can be seen about the Luftwaffe Administrative Officials here: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18055

[Paul R]

Uniforms

An enlisted to officer conversion of the Fliegerbluse. This tunic is to a major.

[Paul R]

More Uniforms

Here is a LW Tuchrock for a Sani private, which was soon replaced by the Waffenrock. Notice the lack of blue piping. I have seen this as a common omission on other specimens I have come across. There is no evidence that it was ever present.

[Paul R]

Collar Tabs

Here are some examples from my collection.

[Paul R]

Shoulder Boards

All medical Officers and Senior Officer Candidates wore the Askulapstab(staff and serpent) cyphers on their shoulder boards/straps. Qualified NCOs and EMs wore the trade badge on the lower Left sleeve. Officials did not wear these insignia.

For members assigned to a medical academy as staff wore the "A" cypher on the shoulder boards/straps:

a. Enlisted and Junior NCOs- The "A" was embroidered onto the strap in dark blue thread and outlined with light blue thread.

b. Senior NCOs- The "A" was a white metal cypher.

c. Officers and Officer Candidates- Gold colored "A" superimposed onto the Askulapstab.

There was no special designating insignia for Dentists. They wore the uniform of a LW Doctor.

The Stabsarzt board below is one of a pair in my collection. The academy board is the first of it's kind that I have seen. I have never seen both the Askulapstab and the "A" cast as a one piece cypher before.

[Paul R]

And here is a closeup of the cypher...

The next two boards are singles for the ranking of Assistenzarzt and Oberarzt.

[Paul R]

Other insignia

Trade Badge

And unauthorized Hermann Goering tabs, thought to be special order for a medic attached to an Armor unit. These would have been completely unauthorized, and worn when out of garrison. They appear to have been for a Panzer wrap.

[Snoopy]

An original postcard, from my collection.

Snoopy

[Snoopy]

This is my "sanit?ter" armband. The armband has two faint inkstamps, and something that looks like blood. I believe that this is the regulation armband, that was worn in the field.

Snoopy

[Paul R]

Great stuff, Snoopy! Does the post card have any writing on the reverse? Photos of these med evac aircraft are not common!

Everyone, data or militaria related to Luftwaffe Medical Corps will be greatly appreciated.

This could include: period photos, insignia, uniforms, documents, and stories from actual veterans.

[Snoopy]

Great stuff, Snoopy! Does the post card have any writing on the reverse? Photos of these med evac aircraft are not common!

Everyone, data or militaria related to Luftwaffe Medical Corps will be greatly appreciated.

This could include: period photos, insignia, uniforms, documents, and stories from actual veterans.

Hello Paul

Glad you like it. It's my favourite postcard. The card has no writing on the reverse. It formerly belonged to a norwegian ss volunteer. The card came from a series of cards, that the soldiers could buy. I guess that some of them ended up in photo albums. Printed on the reverse of the card is "Gebirgsdivision "Nord" in Karelien.

Snoopy

Edited May 16, 2007 by Snoopy

[Scott]

Great stuff guys!

Scott

[Snoopy]

Hello

This is the back of a Lw envelope, with a nice ink stamp. I am not able to read the name. If anybody can, I would be grateful. Maybe, it would be possible to do some research, on the ink stamp and name. Unfortunately, it's no letter in the envelope. Normally I would only buy envelopes with letters, but I like the stamp.

Snoopy

[Bob Lyons]

Visor cap with medical piping....

[Bob Lyons]

again....

[Bob Lyons]

another view...

[Bob Lyons]

Last one...

Bob

[Paul R]

Any data or militaria related to Luftwaffe Medical Corps will be greatly appreciated. This could include: period photos, insignia, uniforms, documents, and stories from actual veterans.

[Paul R]

Here is another tunic. This piece appears to be a tuchrock to a junior level Officer Candidate. This tunic is courtesy of Mike Swan!

[Paul R]

and finally...

Lets keep this thread alive. Lets see you LW medical related items!

[musketiii]

and finally...

Lets keep this thread alive. Lets see you LW medical related items!

Paul,I tried to find you in member list for a privat message but could not get search to work...of course,I don't really know what I am doing. I appreciate the labor,skills,and materials that produced all the WM insignia.Looking just at your LW tabs..how did they do it?? How did they produce just the wreaths and gulls so uniformly and to such excellence? Were they machine produced?If by hand did they have schools to teach woman embroidery? I look at each tab and just marvel at the thought,execution, and design excellence.Then I look at the BW..now the LW has gone to the beret and will look as shabby as the BW Heer. What a shame that they must repudiate the morale boosting designs and lower the status of military life. Just my thoughts.My email is musketiii@hotmail.com.John Wilson

[Cygnet]

Musketiii,

Your comments about fine workmanship and embroidering skills have highlighted the main reason I love collecting military garments from this era. One must realise that in those pre-television and other modern fad days, young women engaged in needlework as a matter of course. There was an ethic in society that you had to be gainfully occupied. Since WW2, needlework slowly became less of a priority for the modern lass.

Post-WW2, Australia was a popular destination for displaced Europeans who brought their skills with them. I know that many women embroiderers worked for the (then) Commonwealth Clothing Factory in Melbourne that supplied uniforms and insignia to our armed forces and police.

Today such insignia is produced in Asia due to domestic labour costs.

Regards,

Mike S.

[Paul R]

I agree with both of your comments. The basic design and construction of the LW uniform is what gives to me, the visual appeal.

Great to see you, Mike!

JOhn,

I sent you a PM!

[airborne steve]

1943 Dated Medical FB. Near Mint with a little moth tracking on the sleeve.

[airborne steve]

Side view with trade patch.