UBB.threads Forums Uniform & Accessories German Military Uniform Forum The rarest German uniform/jacket of WW2

Well in my opinion. While one can spend an enormous amount of money on SS piped wrappers, white Allgemeine tunics, rare Para smocks,etc. at least these can usually be found for sale year in year out. Try and find an example of the rare Luftwaffe creme colored, floppy wool collared lightweight windbreaker and you are set for life. There is currently no known example presented in any available reference past or present. Upon speaking briefly with both Steve Wolfe and George Peterson they both admit they have never heard of one in a collection or EVER heard of one changing hands. That says alot. I heard a faint rumor of one selling for $11,000 about 5 years ago, unconfirmed. It is suprising that none have show up as there are hundreds of photos showing their wear. This was an issued item and a guess of at least 20,000 were issued. Here are some photos. Bill Bourque

There appears to be two types issued, one with the front zipper going completely down to the bottom and one ending at the ribbed wool skirt, a pullover. Here are pics showing both examples.

More pics. All examples Ive seen in pics show the collar buttons present on the right side of the collar. This is the only one with them on the left side. Also this pic shows both types of front zipp. My deep thanks to the collector that provided me with some of these photos.

You have a very good point there. Thanks for showing some pics.

It seems that the jacket is unlined and has creme colored glasiene buttons on the sleeves. The collar is buttoned onto small barely visible eyelets on the edge of the oppisite collar. To this date an example of the unique machine applied white breast eagle has not surfaced, even in fake form(hard to believe) An example of one of these breast eagles would be equal to a handfull of SS officer eagles.

Here is the best pic shown to me of the breast eagle.

If anyone owns one of these they own the rarest flight jacket of the 20th century. I have a house here in San Diego Ca I would consider trading for one of these. Ive heard of this type jacket refered to as the "Great White" again my thanks to those that have helped me in the research of this jacket. Regards Bill Bourque

Pic.

That is interesting. I don't collect uniforms, but that one looks great.

How would you go about authenticating something like this ?

Dave

Hi Dave, find me an example and I promise you it could be done. Bill

Bob..a RARE bird for sure..I used to have one of the blue versions of this which I unfortunately sold..those I believe go for five or six..I would imagine their (the white) are fairly identical to construciton/manufacture of the white.but have NEVER seen one even offered for sale and also no of none in advanced collections..it took me a good 10 years after buying the tropical salt/pepper channel trousers to find an honest to good real version of that channel jacket...they are also very rare.but no where like the white version..man I wish i still had my blue one!

Here is an example of the blue Luft windbreaker. There are three types the blue, the Great White and the Med./trop type. The blue and Med type on occasion does come up for sale. The big differance is the floppy wool collar present only on the white version. Bill

GREAT Jacket Bill!

Bill.here is the tropical. Pants are underneath

Interior tag..

Hi Scott, excellent example of the trop type. Two out of three is not bad, finding a white one has so far been impossible. Bill

Bill thanks..I imagine the white jacket minus the eagle and leather would have been a pretty stylish summerjacket..tennis jacket maybe postwar..could just all be used up..but one would think at least ONE would survive somewhere..but maybe not.

Thanks for all the fotos Bill. Very interesting. Did you say they go for around $10,000?

I'm taking orders and will have some available for that price in a jiff!

Not into uniforms or such but great photo's.I do collect visors and there were some nice closeups.Liked the shot of the four together with linked arms.Hope the "New Jiffy" versions don't have a "London Fog" label

Excellent thread, thanks for sharing.

Bill..maybe I can "scare" one of those white jackets up in Russia As a side note...Steve McCoulough (sp) of S&M wholesale has been making a fairly decent copy of the blue version.

Here are some more pics showing the wear of this jacket but with most likey a velour collar as is present on the blue cloth elect. heated flight jackets. Unknown if this was a factory option or done on a JG level. The pics I found mostly came from JG53. All sorts of boards, straps, decorations were worn. All the front zipps were RAPID types. Several pics show newish appearing jackets side by side but with a distinctive darker white versus a lighter white. Its a remote possibility some of the breast eagles were done in a fine silver thread vs white thread. Bill

Pic.

Fear not gentlemen, the resources of several former Warsaw Pact nations are being mobilized as we speak. They are just waiting for a few more images before starting to look for originals.

Dave

Dave..sad to say..but your probably right on the money re your prediction!

quote:

Originally posted by Ed Martin:
Not into uniforms or such but great photo's.I do collect visors and there were some nice closeups.Liked the shot of the four together with linked arms.Hope the "New Jiffy" versions don't have a "London Fog" label

HAHA!! That was funny!
They actually might start showing up in the David Hasselhoff Members Only editions. I'll see what I can do.

Bring it on. Maybe one will show up from from an unexpected source. I can almost talk myself into owning a reproduction if one shows up. Here is a pic of the collar eyelets. This information and observation was made by Jos
LeConte. Bill

You evidently missed the one on ebay.de roughly two months ago then. It wasnt in the correct category and wasnt referenced as Luftwaffe but was in the ww2 section.

Obviously it didnt even clear the thousand Euro mark but sold none the less.

Here's another tropical up for grabs. While not the 'great white' certainly still a nice pickup.

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1...item=6183921819&rd=1

Hello Eindhoven thanks for the information. Are you saying there was an example of the White floppy wool collared jacket on Ebay 2 months ago? Was it described as origional? Regards Bill

Bill-

It had the wool collar with some mothing. I remember it struck me as very nice and seldom seen because up until that point I was just used to seeing the tropical or Luft Blue versions.

It wasnt labeled under the normal search words (fliegerjacke-jacke-uniformjacke etc) I use and was in the Ausrüstung & Ersatzteile category.

Hello Eindhoven, that I would like to have seen. Is there a chance one can search backwards for info/photo or buyer address. Did it have the breast eagle and the buttons on the wool ribbed collar? Bill

Sorry, to dissappoint, but the jacket in that auction, has a good chance of being a czech repro. They also now make them in blue and also the pants.

Gerard


PS-I did see the white jacket on ebay about 6 months to a year ago. I believe that one was real.

Hello Gerald, good pickup. The trop jacket @auction appears to have an inner lining that as far as I know is not present on origionals ditto the front zipp and silvery snaps. So far the fakes Ive seen(only 2 of the blue) were easily recognised. Regards Bill

Thank you Gerard for your insight into the current tropical jacke link.

I am not surprised if it was that long back on the white jacke. My mind has never been good for time and dates thanks to a nomadic upbringing.

As a side note..this is the second of the Luft tropical "salt and pepper" jackets Ive seen on ebay out of Czech.the other had no leather loops
for the oxygen mask nor a breast eagle..dont recall if lining was present..which obviously period ones should not have..would like to see one of these repros...I know and believe from several sources that indeed some of the very best repros of many items.including panzer headsets..are comingout of Czech..the individual(s) that I am familar with do set up at the Max..and are out of Prague...and young guys...they have..it appears..no qualms about passing off bad as good..they are also doing fallschirmjager leather gloves in many varieties.

Hi,
Yes,the white ones are super rare,I've never seen a original one that survived..

BTW,I think the light colored jacket with the fur collar on page one is a mouse-grey type,that type also existed.

Here're some links to fake jackets..
The Czech made are easy to detect IMO.
http://www.thuringenmilitaria.com/repos/uniforms.html
http://www.smwholesale.com/0015.html

I've tried to do the white eagle a little better..

Jos.

Hello Jos and all, thanks for the fake updates. The jackets on Thuringen are easily seen as fakes as they feature zippered sleeves. SM wholesales version appears more accurate and Ive handled one not too long ago but it still is an obvious fake. SM has a long tradition of providing accurate FAKES going back to the mid 1970s. I believe sometime in the past I viewed a color photo of Major Walter Oesau celebrating his 100th victory while wearing the white jacket. It had a good shot of the breast eagle in color. I will try and locate it. Bill

Here is a white jacket on the German ebay.
I am not convinced. I do not think it's 63 years old
White Jacket on ebay

My best guess..its a repro...its more consistent with the blue versions..but still lacking the knitted waist.