Luftwaffe Black Leather Belt Strap
CATEGORY: Version
SKU: 22.GOR.02.02.02.002.001
Estimated market value:
Estimated market value:
The belt is fabricated from a very thick leather with a smooth finished black upper, smooth finished dark brown underside, a tab stitched in place on the underside with a smooth finished dark brown upper on the right end, the tab with seven rows of two holes each for length adjustment, receiving clip in aluminum on the left end, emboss stamped with the "L. RITGEN KARLSRUHE" maker mark, dated "1938" and marked "L.B.A. (S.)" on the underside of the belt where it wraps around to the reverse on the left end, emboss stamped "I./Flak.Rgt.19" above "Res.Flak.Abt." with "4B" beside on the underside of the belt beside the end of the wrap around portion on the left end, the belt measuring 43 mm x 1,020 mm. Belt remains very stiff, exhibiting light soiling and crazing, light contact on the receiving clip, better than very fine.
The German Wehrmacht was composed of three main branches, the Heer, the Kriegsmarine, and the Luftwaffe. The Heer and Kriegsmarine uniforms were based upon the designs utilized by their predecessor organizations, the Deutsches Heer and the Kaiserliche Marine. Conversely, the Luftwaffe uniforms were based upon the uniforms worn in the sports and para-military organizations that were the forerunners of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe uniforms were specifically designed to deviate from the designs of the other Wehrmacht service branches. It was also necessary that the uniforms differentiate between military and civilian pilots.
There were two main organizational precursors of the Luftwaffe, the German Air Sports Association (DLV or Deutscher Luftsportverband), and the National Air Raid Protection League (RLB or Reichs Luftschutzbund).
The DLV and the RLB were created in 1933. These civilian organizations were used to secretly train members for future roles in the Luftwaffe. The DLV became obsolete after Hitler’s official introduction of the Luftwaffe in 1935, and it was disbanded and replaced by the National Socialist Flyers Corps (NSFK or Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps) in 1937.
On May 27, 1935, an order was released that delineated the official forms of the Luftwaffe uniforms. This edict removed DLV/RLB belts from circulation and wear by Luftwaffe personnel, and introduced official Luftwaffe belt buckle and strap regulations.
Prior to the Second World War, the leather was brown, but during the war, it was a common practice to blacken the leather.
The belts that were worn by Luftwaffe personnel in tropical climates, or as part of the field division, could be worn with an olive green-coloured webbed/utility belt.
The leather belts may be stamped with a manufacturer mark, “L.B.A.” for the Luftwaffe Clothing Department (Luftwaffe Bekleidungs Amt), or have no marks at all.
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