Thursday, December 25, 2014

Luftwaffe Pilot Ready to Fly

This picture was first published in "Die Wehrmacht" magazine Nr.11, 27 may 1942 edition and showing an unknown Luftwaffe pilot sits atop of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 while preparing himself for action against the enemy, May 1942. He is wearing one of the few different sets of uniforms and combat flying suits used by the German fighter pilots during the war. Looks like a light windbreaker, which are very rare nowadays but apparently popular during the first half of the war on the Eastern front. Sometimes they also wore Privately purchased leather jackets. These are the famous 'Eastman' or 'Hartmann' jackets. Some were off the rack, some were specifically tailored. Photographs of several pilots wearing similar jackets may give the impression that these were issued-they were not, at least officially. They simply conformed to the same basic design principles, those of a civilian cycling, or flight jacket



Source:
Book "Luftwaffe at War: Luftwaffe Aces of the Western Front" by Robert Michulec
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?58845-A-short-guide-to-Luftwaffe-flight-jackets

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