Luftwffe & captured Allied Flt.Gear

[researcher111]

I am trying to understand if there was a Luftwaffe directive prohibiting their pilots to use captured flight gear. I don't want to enter into Nazi and WWII German plunder endless topics, but understand why some Lufwaffe pilots were permitted to use Allied flight jackets and thermic flyers coveralls . I am not sure as into Moelders jacket's origin though it had some similarity with the standard Russian Army severe weather jacket.

Likewise if there were cases of Allied pilots flying wih German flight garments ( other than Russians )

[Revi16]

No directive that I know of.

The jacket Moelders is wearing is most likely "private purchase", something he had made up. You will also see him wearing private purchase fur gloves in some photos. There were many Luftwaffe pilots that did the same. This was common during the early part of the war when the Luftwaffe had a somewhat limited selection of "production" flight gear. You can see numerous early war pictures of Luftwaffe pilots wearing what look like leather motorcycle jackets purchased in France.

IIRC Heinz Bar traded something with a crew member for the AAF A-2 jacket.

[researcher111]

Hello

Thank you lots for posting these photos, to my knowledge the flyers jacket worn on your shot is a standard German issue . As into Baer's A-2, I would be very interested to know if indeed US airmen would give out such items needed on the POW camp to a Whermacht eventually a Nazi pilot,but that's something I really can't tell .....I know that the Luftwaffe, Gestapo, SD and regular Whermacht soldiers were keen to get US & British airmen watches and flight gear due to superior quality of these garments.

As into the gloves and jackets made in France, sorry no clue

[harrison987]

Here are some captured / traded examples:

[Revi16]

Originally Posted by researcher111

Hello

Thank you lots for posting these photos, to my knowledge the flyers jacket worn on your shot is a standard German issue .

The jacket Moelders is wearing in my second photo is NOT German issue. It's private purchase. The Luftwaffe did not issue a leather jacket until 1944, it came in shades of brown and greys. The majority(not all) of these were electrically wired for heated flight gloves.

[researcher111]

Thank you so much, very interesting shots, I have a luftwaffe flight gear manual let me look into this and I'll revert with some scans for you. Thank you again ....and perhaps you could get me some details as into the French manufacturer

Best Regards

[Revi16]

Originally Posted by researcher111

Thank you so much, very interesting shots, I have a luftwaffe flight gear manual let me look into this and I'll revert with some scans for you. Thank you again ....and perhaps you could get me some details as into the French manufacturer

Best Regards

The pilots simply bought/aquired leather jackets from clothing stores in France, Italy, or any other country they may have been in. There are numerous variations of style worn.

This book may help you.

[researcher111]

Yeah, I've got this book but there's little or not all info on Luftwaffe flt.jackets espcially those aquired abroad.

[Tim O.]

This photo came in a photo album that forms part of the Oscar Müller grouping. The three officers from 5./KG1 are (left to right):

Oberleutnant Müncheberg
Leutnant Oscar Müller
Ali Petzenhauser

The caption in the album reads: 'That's me. English flying jacket 'captured' on the beach at Dunkirk'

An attributed example perhaps?

Best wishes
Tim O.

[researcher111]

Thanks for the great shot Tim , indeed that must be an early RAF version of Irvine sheepskin aircrew jackets
or a German type not yet known to me, check the left shot Oessau and right hand shot Horten , both have visible
similarities with the one captured at Dunkirk .This worn by Steinhoff I can't identify neither the one on mid photo
but suspect the last mus be Frence in similar to the location of the group.

Best Regards
AlexK