My Luftwaffe Collection- Focus on the Unusual

[PaulR]

I have several collecting fields, but one of my largest contains Luftwaffe insignia and uniforms.  I noticed over the years that while most collectors clamor torward the more common flight and Hermann Goering Division items, many of the truly rare and obscure items are virtually ignored.  There is a whole wealth of Luftwaffe organizations that contributed greatly to the war effort that many know little to nothing about.  My first uniform set goes to one of these groups.  The General-Luftzuegmeister was the logistics services branch of the Luftwaffe.  They used mainly captured uniform stocks.  The LW blue uniform is Czech and the black dyed uniform is French.  

The cap is German made specifically for this organization.  There was never an eagle applied to it, per the regulations of the GL.  Finding the cap was a total accident.  It was sold on Ebay as a modified/denazified cap.  I was able to get it for very inexpensively- the rarest LW sidecap possible!  

here appear to be two waffenfarben, yellow and red.  I do not yet know what they represent.  

[PaulR]

Here is a great LWFD Uffz/Flak tunic.  A friend of mine picked it up directly from the woodwork about 10 years ago.  I was lucky enough to finally buy it from him late last year.  It came complete with a party badge and train ticket in the pocket.  

[PaulR]

I have a few other regular Luftwaffe tunics, but I very much enjoy the Beamter.  Here is a very nice and rare NCO Administration tunic.  It has the pink nebenfarbe, which indicates a career in either ordnance, test pilot, cartographer, or aero-photography.   This is only the second LW Administrative NCO tunic I've ever seen.  The first one had a huge hole in the collar from a rat/mouse attack.   I'd been looking for one of these for eight years before this one came up!

[PaulR]

Lets not forget the Sonderfuhrer.  These are not easy to find either!  I have one officer and NCO.  

[PaulR]

Here are the remainder of my tunics.  

The first is to a Flak Uffz of the 49th Flak Regiment.  This unit was destroyed at Stalingrad.  As you can see, the tunic is named.  The really cool part about this item is that you can see evidence of promotions over the years by way of holes where he advanced from Obergrefeiter to Uffz and a slight shadow on the sleeve where the Obergrefeiter stripes used to be attached.  The loops fit the attached awards perfectly.  

The second tunic is an unnamed sani-soldat.  The second photo of the tunic is used to contrast another set of LW tabs, which were definitely light blue, not medical.  

The third tunic is for a Communications Official with a very high rank.  No loops for awards.  The cloth is a very fine silk-like material.  

Edited March 6, 2016 by PaulR

[PaulR]

Here are some insignia odds and ends. 

Edited March 7, 2016 by PaulR

[PaulR]

KVK1 to Admin Major. 

[PaulR]

Some Luftwaffe Auxiliaries- Luftschutz and other related organizations.  

Edited March 6, 2016 by PaulR

[Mav352]

I don't think I've ever seen that much Luftwaffe kit in one place before @PaulR, very impressive. Thanks for posting them all.

[Manu Della Valle]

Impressive collection,Paul.Thanks for sharing!

[PaulR]

Thank you all for the kind words.  I have more to show as well.  

I just sold five very nice uniforms to fund the purchase of a soldbuch to a high profile family member of mine, as well as replacement awards.  All and all, about $13K worth... It pained me to sell them, but I figured that the odds of running into a Soldbuch for a family member(of moderate fame) was next to zero, so my arm was twisted.   I will post the other LW items in the future. 

 

[Davejb]

These uniforms and insignias are excellent, one of the best LW collections I,ve seen out side of a museum, you,re a lucky man Paul

[PaulR]

On 3/7/2016 at 18:51, Davejb said:

These uniforms and insignias are excellent, one of the best LW collections I,ve seen out side of a museum, you,re a lucky man Paul

Thanks Dave. It is a culmination of over 15 years of hard looking.  The awesome thing about the obscure stuff is that it is not popular, which results in very reasonable prices.  The GL tunics, for example, are the only two I know of.  

[PaulR]

Here are some more views... 

The orange and light blue EM tabs are for military police.  Super rare. 

[Mav352]

Very nice @PaulR 

[Guest Fred Karno's Army]

Wow just wow 

[Waffenamt]

Puts my meagre early collection shame!  Nice one mate for posting pics and write up.

[Waffenamt]

9 hours ago, Mav352 said:

Very nice @PaulR 

You aint kidding Mav!

[Mav352]

Yep it's almost one of those "I might as well give up now" moments 

[PaulR]

Thank you all for the kind words.  All collections are valuable.  I am not trying to make anyone feel bad.  Dont give up as there are so many things out there.  I just like the weird stuff that most others dont seem to.  Many are extremely affordable because they are not from elite units.   For example, a Hermann Goering Division tuchrock can go for 2500 Euros and up, but a LW Beamter tunic which only one known may exist, may struggle to be sold for 700 Euros.  

[PaulR]

Pre war Penal unit internee.