Bundesrepublik BRD Luftwaffe "Ike" tunic

[Ed_Haynes]

Going through some long-forgotten closets, some even-longer-forgotten things surface.

Comments?

(Apologies for the "soft porn" of the mannequin. )

[Ed_Haynes]

Collar tab closeup.

[Ed_Haynes]

Label, inside (wearer's) left breast pocket.

[Ed_Haynes]

Wisdom, please. (On something pretty marginal to my interests.)

[Gordon Craig]

Ed,

An rare tunic and I would love to add one of these to my collection of BRD uniforms. It is the "SERVICE DRESS" for the Bundesluftwaffe and came into wear in the 50s (I won't give a specific year because my reference books differ on that although 56/57 seems to be fairly accurate) when West Germany moved away from the very American uniform they had originally adopted for the BW to something more "German" in apearance. The rank is that of Hauptgefreiter (UA). Keep digging through your "long lost" closets. Especially if you are going to find more tunics like this one.

Regards,

Gordon

PS I just looked at your photos again and I guess from the dated tag 1956 is a good date for introduction.

Edited November 15, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[speedytop]

Hi,

it is a jacket belonging to the "Dienst- und Ausgehanzug" of the Luftwaffe, the service dress. For enlisted men and corporals/staff sergeants (Flieger - Stabsunteroffizier/Airmen - Staff Sergeant).

It is the first type of a service dress in the Bundeswehr.

The jacket is from 1956, "updated" 1957 with the collar tabs.

The shoulder boards should be peaked and not rounded?

The rank is Obergefreiter (UA). Airman 2nd Class, NCO candidate (UA = Unteroffizieranw?rter)

Regards

Uwe

Edited November 15, 2007 by speedytop

[Gordon Craig]

Uwe,

You have to look closely but I believe the shoulderboards are peaked and not rounded. Hard to see from the angle of the photo and the two pieces of cloth being the same colour.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited November 16, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

Uwe,

What would one of these tunics cost today on ebay.de? For those who may be interested, here is a picture of a "peaked" shoulderboard used on the early BW tunics.

Regards,

Gordon

[speedytop]

Hi Gordon,

I do not know it, but the first uniforms are rare, particular from a general.

Your shown shoulderboard is a later "updated" version, because there is the red underlay. The first shoulderboards had only the golden cord.

Regards

Uwe

Edited November 16, 2007 by speedytop

[Gordon Craig]

Uwe,

Thanks for the respnse and the comments on the Generals uniform. The picture of the shoulderboard is from a tunic in my collection and I know what it was worth when I bought it. Just curious to see if you knew what the Luftwaffe tunics were going for. Do you know when they started to add the red trim to the Generals tunics like mine?

Here is a photo of General des II. Korps, Generalleutnant Max Pemsel RKT wearing shoulderboards without the red trim.

Regards,

Gordon

[speedytop]

Gordon,

it started in 1962 with the rounded shoulderboards for all ranks and the coloured "underlay" for officers and generals. In red for generals, the other officer ranks in the the colours according to the branch of service (waffenfarbige Unterlage).

Enlisted men and NCO's had a coloured piping (Paspel) around the shoulderboard, according to the branch of service.

Is there a label inside the inner left breast pocket (look Post 3), that you can date your jacket, "updated" 1962?

Regards

Uwe

[Gordon Craig]

Uwe,

No labels in the pockets. Just the makers label "KKB Koblenz" on the outside of the inside left brest pocket.

Regards,

Gordon

[speedytop]

Hi,

KKB is the abbreviation for the official military shop of the Bundeswehr for officers and some senior NCO's:

Kleiderkasse der Bundeswehr

Later (it changed in the sixties, but I don't know when) KKBw

Kleiderkasse f?r die Bundeswehr

now it is LHD:

http://www.lhd-shop.de/Welcome.lhd

Regards

Uwe

[Gordon Craig]

Uwe,

Thanks for correcting my use of the KKB Koblenz markings. I've seen that marking in a lot of BW officers uniforms and just assumed it was the makers mark. Good to know the correct meaning of it.

Regards,

Gordon

[speedytop]

Gordon, please excuse, but you must not correct the use of KKB/KKBw markings.

You could order and buy there complete tailored uniforms, not only the manufactured uniforms.

You can compare KKB/KKBw with other shops as Rahne or Kuhnert etc.

Regards

Uwe

[Ed_Haynes]

Sorry this has taken so long. The shoulder straps on the one I started the thread with.

[Gordon Craig]

Ed,

Thanks for the picture of the shoulderboard.

Regards,

Gordon