Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot Leather Flight Jacket

Unlike most of the other air forces of World War II, the Luftwaffe did not have a standardized pattern for their flying jackets. This jacket is an example of the classic style used by many Luftwaffe fighter pilots: a brown leather waist length jacket with shoulder loops for slip-on straps or boards and adjustment straps at the waist. The jacket has a bullion officer’s breast eagle sewn on the left breast. The shoulders have slip-on boards for a Major of flight. There is a set of wide loops on the upper left breast that appear to have been used for a flight clasp. There are two sets of loops on the lower left breast, most probably for the wear of a pilot badge and an Iron Cross, first class. The jacket has pockets on each side of the upper chest. These have zipper closures, although the zipper on one pocket, while it moves, does not close the teeth of the zipper. The front closure zipper functions easily although the zipper slide does come off of the zipper if it is unzipped completely. The slide can be placed back on the zipper track, though, and the zipper does function. Each lower side of the jacket has a pocket with a flap closure secured by an aluminum button. The jacket has a brown wool lining and the pilot added an interior pocket on the right side that closes with snaps. The jacket shows the typical scuffs and creases that are normal for a leather jacket worn in combat in a cockpit, but overall the jacket is quite clean, with supple leather and without stiffness of significant flaking of the leather. Overall this is an impressive example of a World War II Luftwaffe fighter pilot’s flight jacket in really splendid condition.