Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Sports Tanktop Question

[Guest Rick Research]

I was out with a member of the Traveling Museum yesterday and he picked up a 1941 dated Luftwaffe sleeveless white sport tank top--with the giant eagle sewn on front...

and it has two blue cloth strips sewn around the neck opening as if... to indicate "rank" whilst in gym shorts and undershirt?...

Of the very few Wehrmacht tanktops I've ever seen none have had anything like that around the top opening.

This may be an awkward question but... are there any Nazi underwear collectors here who know what the stripes indicated?

[speedytop]

Hi Rick,

it is for the distinction of rank groups: EM no strips, NCO 1 strip, officer two strips.

H.Dv.122 Abschnitt B Anzugordnung für das Reichsheer 1935:

"15. Sportanzug

...

Der Halsausschnitt des Sporthemds ist bei Offizieren mit zwei, bei Unteroffizieren mit einem 1 cm breiten Streifen aus schwarzem Köperband besetzt."

L.Dv. 422 Abschnitt A Anzugordnung für die Luftwaffe 1935:

"83 Wehrmachtssportabzeichen (Luftwaffe).

Am Sportanzug für die Soldaten der Luftwaffe werden getragen:

...

b) als Dienstgradabzeichen am Sporthemd für:

Unteroffiziere 1 () Offiziere 2 Streifen aus 1 cm breitem schwarzem Köperband um den Halsausschnitt.

Uwe

Edited July 3, 2013 by speedytop

[Guest Rick Research]

Thanks, Uwe! I thought it must be something like that.

[Guest Rick Research]

Little did I ever suspect when I joined GMIC back in May 2005 that I would be the first person to post used Nazi underwear here! The things I do for the Traveling Museum!

I mis-remembered and the neck stripes are indeed regulation black.

Since most souvenir hunters drew the line at that, mostly the giant Hoheitsabzeichen eagles were stripped off.

The hem mark is faded but I think this is the maker factory name and date 1941, not the original wearer.

[speedytop]

Rick, yes, it is the maker factory name, but we can choose between two possible makers:

http://www.goetzburg.de/unternehmen/history/

http://www.vowalon.de/german/service/leitung.htm

Uwe