136. German Air Force: Oberfeldwebel, Fighter Pilot, 1944, 'Invasion Suit'.
137. German Air Force: Aircrew member F3ihnrich, 1939, 'Bulgarian Suit'.
138. German Air Force: Bomber Pilot Feldwebel, 1940, Summer Flying Suit.
The German Air Force provided a variety of special protective flight clothing to be worn by its air crews. Initially these were of three types.1. The lightweight tan coloured summer flying suit for flights over all types ofterrain(No. 138). This was worn over the normal Flight Blouse or Service Tunic worn together with either officers breeches or trousers. The unlined flight helmet was made from the same lightweight tan material. The bright yellow cover worn over the helmet was introduced in an effort to make the wearer more conspicuous in the event of his having to bale out of his aircraft and ditch into the sea. The kapok filled lifejacket was of the type normally worn by bomber crews and crews of transport and flying medical units. Passengers in transport aircraft would also wear this type of lifejacket. The heavy duty leather and suede fleece lined boots were standard issue to pilots and air crews of all types of aircraft. 2. The heavyweight fleece-lined flying suit for use during winter months when flying over land (No. 137). Although the flying suit depicted here (No. 137) is a dark blue-grey garment it was also manufactured in dark brown and dark-grey material. It was sometimes referred to as the 'Bulgarian Suit'. The life jacket is the innatable type normally worn by fighter pilots and those whose movement was restricted inside a single seat cockpit and where the bulkier kapok filled jackets would prove too cumbersome. The Airman is wearing the Luftwaffe Fliegermütze, the 'fore and aft' flight hat. 3. The two-piece fleece-lined leather flying suit for winter flights over sea areas (not illustrated). As the war progressed it became evident to the German Air Force authorities that a more practical form of flying apparel was needed. Pilots of fighter aircraft had for some time taken to wearing flying jerkins made from cloth and leather. These were very popular and much easier to put on and take off than a complete flying suit and as a development of these jerkins a new form of flying outfit was introduced into Air Force Service. Sometimes known as the 'Invasion Suit' (No. 136), because its initial and widespread use happened to coincide with the Allied Invasion of the Normandy coast, it consisted of a cloth jerkin with matching trousers in blue-grey material. These trousers were very distinctivt· with their large map pockets. The Oberfeldwebel depicted here is shown wearing the Luftwaffe Replacement Model 1943 cap, an item of soft headdress that was intended to replace the Fliegermütze. The practice of attaching a small belt of flare pistol cartridges around the pilot's calf was something individual airmen chose to do. There were no laid down regulations that said this had to be done in this tnanner and although it may have ensured that a pilot in distress had a plentiful and ready supply of cartridges to hand he ran the risk of death or mutilation if these cartridges were hit by gunfire or he had been trapped by the legs inside his burning aircraft.

139. German Air Force: Leutnant, Panzer-Division 'Hermann Göring', 1943, Special Black Panzer Uniform.
The 'Hermann Göring' Brigade was formed in the summer of 1942 from Regiment 'General Göring' and in January 1943 it was converted into a Panzer Division. As early as 1938 when Regiment 'General Göring' was first formed the members of its Panzer Reconnaissance Unit wore the Special Black Panzer Uniform. This practice was continued throughout the development of the formation by all those manning enclosed armoured vehicles. The uniform was identical in design to those used by Army (No. 93), Waffen-SS (No. 154) and Police Panzer Units (No. 180). The Luftwaffe version was only distinguished from the uniforms of other armoured forces by the use of Air Force insignia This consisted of the Luftwaffe National Emblem worn on the right breast, the 'Hermann Göring' cuff-title on the right cuff and the use of white Waffenfarbe piping to the collar and death's head collar patches.

140. German Air Force: Capitán, Flying Branch, Legion Condor, 1939, Parade Uniform.
In July 1936 a nationalist revolt, led by General France and General Mola, broke out against the Spanish Republic. Starting first in the military garrisons of Spanish Morocco it rapidly spread to the Spanish mainland. Within days of this happening Hitler began to send detachments of 'Volunteers' from Germany to Spain to support France in what Hitler saw as the Spanish Generals 'fight against Bolshevism'. These volunteers were detached from the regular Air Force units stationed in Germany and sent secretly to Spain. Flying personnel and ground crews were sent with troops from anti-aircraft units as well as medical and signals troops together with administration personnel. The German Army also had a small contingent of volunteers serving in Spain, mostly with the Spanish Nationalist tank forces. German Naval units saw action in Spanish waters. The Legion Condor - the name given to this body of German Volunteers, a large percentage of which were German Air Force personnel- was initially a volunteer force. Its status however was changed once the value of the battle experience gained by these troops began to show results. The volunteer system was scrapped and for the rest of the war a regular supply of German officers and men were rotated from Germany to Spain and back at six to ten months intervals. At the successful completion of the war in April 1939 the German personnel serving in Spain were returned to Germany and airer a number of official parades held in both Hamburg and Berlin together with awards being presented to all who had participated. in the Spanish Civil War the Legion Condor was officially disbanded. Illustrated here is an ofilcer holding the Legion rank of Capitan as indicated by the three, six-pointed silver stars worn on his tunic and cap. The backing to these stars (and NCO's bars) was in a coloured cloth indicating the branch of service of the wearer, in this case yellow for flight personnel. The officer also wears his Spanish Air Force pilots wings above his right breast pocket and the 'Spanish Cross', a German award for service in the Legion, on his right breast pocket. When the Legion returned home to Germany it was realised that the troops were deficient in a universally coloured uniform of a standard pattern. Prior to the 'Homecoming' parade taking place in Berlin a mad rush ensued to find suitable uniforms of the right colour and in sufficient numbers for the contingent to wear. Eventually a stock of Reichs Arbeitsdienst uniforms (see Nos. 70 to 74) was located and all the tailors within the Berlin area were put to work in converting these RAD tunics into uniforms for the Legion Condor.

141. German Air Force: Fl.-Generalstabsingenieur, 1940, Greatcoat as Parade Dress.
The pre-war structure of the Luftwaffe was divided into four main branches: a) The active regular formations which included both ground forces and flying units, b) the Administrative officials, c) The Corps of Navigational Experts and d) The Corps of Engineers. This last formation was identified by a branch colour of rose pink. The colour was used for the corps collar patches, as underlays on shoulder straps and as lapel facings to the greatcoat of its two most senior General officer ranks. As with all Air Force Officers of General's rank those engineers who held the equivalent rank of general were distinguished by the use of gilt insignia, piping and buttons. The rank of leading Flight Chief Engineer was changed in 1940 to that of Flight General Staff Engineer.

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