Description
Product Description: This Luftwaffe EM Buckle and Belt is a nice, early set. The buckle is made of solid aluminum that never had any painted finish applied. The front has all of the original crisp detail, with no evident wear. There are some small areas of discoloration and patina that we have made no attempt to clean. The reverse of this high-quality buckle is complete and sound, and is all aluminum. The buckle is unmarked, but this certainly dates from the prewar period. The roller bar and prongs assembly retains the original leather tab. The tab is maker marked for “Ferdinand Wiedmann,” and is also unit marked “F.L.H.-Kdtr, Schweinfurt” indicating issue to a member of the ground crew of the Schweinfurt air base. The belt is a nice and relatively uncommon private purchase type, with a riveted, plated metal hook. The leather is smooth side out, with a medium brown exterior that shows light wear. The pebbled leather tongue is maker marked for “P.D. Luneschloss.” The belt measures 96cm and has no damage to note. Overall, the condition of this Luftwaffe EM Buckle and Belt rates as excellent.
Historical Description: The belt buckle (“Koppelschloss”) was an important part of the regalia worn by all uniformed military, civil, political, and paramilitary organizations during the Third Reich. The belt (“Koppel”) was part of the uniform and would always be worn while on duty. The belt buckle was typically specific to each organization, with many organizations having separate belt buckle designs for officers and for enlisted personnel respectively, sometimes with different colors and finishes to further denote specific purposes. The buckles featured various mottos and designs specific to the organizations for which they were intended. Many designs used the German national eagle emblem, in a wide variety of forms. Belt buckles were worn with uniforms ranging from finely tailored officer parade uniforms to the standard issued uniforms of enlisted soldiers in combat. Most German belt buckles of the Third Reich took the same functionality as their Imperial predecessors and were made with two prongs on the reverse, to allow the buckle to be worn and adjusted on a belt. The buckle had a catch that would attach the metal hook on the belt. The earliest Third Reich buckles were often made of brass, or nickel silver. Later, aluminum became very common, and was used on private purchase as well as enlisted buckles of the German military, with or without a painted or plated finish. After WWII began, most enlisted military buckles were steel. With most uniforms, the belt and buckle were always worn when the wearer was on duty. The belts were made of brown, black, and natural leather, with sewn or riveted hooks made of aluminum or steel, depending on the pattern of the belt and the era in which it was made. There were also belts made of cotton webbing, intended for tropical use. Officer belts were often different; many types of officers wore the “Zweidornkoppel” belt with buckle featuring two permanently affixed prongs, while other uniforms or organizations called for a leather belt that was like the enlisted pattern, but wider, to accommodate the officer-specific buckles. Nazi belt buckles were popular souvenirs for Allied troops who served in Europe. Some types were made by the millions and remain quite common today. Others were made in limited numbers and are now quite scarce.
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