OUTSTANDING Original WWII German Luftwaffe (Airforce) EM/NCO’S BELT BUCKLE WITH LEATHER Tab Certified

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Original WWII German Luftwaffe (Airforce) EM/NCO’S Belt BUCKLE. (Koppel und Koppelschloß) With Leather Tab Certified. Military belts and their corresponding buckles date back centuries and were initially designed for attaching swords and daggers. In 1847 a new innovative box buckle with a quick release catch and corresponding belt were introduced which resulted in a Prussian, Hauptmann Virschow, initiating a new method of carrying personal equipment with the belt and shoulder straps supporting the majority of the weight. This system, with modifications, remains in use in most of the armies in the world to this day. During the Third Reich there was a prescribed form of wear of the belt and buckle with the buckle being positioned on the right side and the corresponding buckle catch on the left side. First introduced on May 20TH 1935, the Luftwaffe EM/NCO’s belt buckle underwent minor modifications in late 1937 or early 1938 with a new pattern eagle and again in 1940 with a slight difference in construction. Of Note: Luftwaffe personnel initially utilized brown leather accouterments but during the war the leather items were generally blackened. 1938 pattern, Steel construction box buckle features a pebbled outer field with a central, embossed, high relief, horizontally oval laurel leaf wreath encompassing a slightly domed, pebbled inner field with embossed second pattern, (circa 1937/38-1945), Luftwaffe eagle to the center. The reverse of the buckle is a mirror image of the obverse excluding the inner pebbled field. The reverse has the integral, catch and separate prong bar and prongs all intact.  The buckle has the original Luftwaffe brown tab still attached stamped is the maker Richard Sieper & Sohn, Ludenscheid and the date 1942. Shows some use or wear condition. Has the original owner’s initials on the back (see photos)! Gettysburg Museum Certified (COA) provided. 100% Guaranteed to be authentic brought home by a U.S. Veteran. Sold for historic purposes only. See our other pieces on our web site. Also note when browsing our web site there are several pages of items, at the bottom of the list look for other page numbers.  OUTSTANDING MAKER MARKED EXAMPLE! Don’t Miss This One!