History

On March 25, 1933 the DLV (Deutscher Luftsportverband = German Air Sports Association) was created as a civilian sports organisation, the umbrella organisation of all air-related sports. However, from the very beginning, the DLV was used to secretly train its members for future roles in the newly emerging Luftwaffe, a breach of the terms of the Versailles Treaty.
The organisation should not be confused with the Deutscher Luftfahrtverband (also abbreviated DLV), which was formed in 1902, but disbanded in favour of the new DLV under Third Reich rule.

The DLV was split into two groups, the civilian section and the secret military section, known as the “Fliegerschaft” (air crew). The organisation eventually became obsolete after the official unveiling of the Luftwaffe in 1935, and it was disbanded and replaced by the National Socialist Flyers Corps (NSFK or Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps) in 1937.

The DLV collar tabs were composed of a rigid tan buckram backing, coloured wool underlay, and additional twisted piping, silver-coloured tress, wreaths, and double wings or “gull wings” denoting the wearer’s specific rank. The twisted piping was sewn along the exterior of the tabs.

The colour of the wool underlay may be white, yellow, black, or blue. White collar tabs were only worn by the General and Minister ranks. Yellow collar tabs were worn by German Transportation Flying School personnel, a branch of the DLV (Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule). Black collar tabs were worn by Civil Aviation Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) personnel. Blue collar tabs were worn by all other DLV personnel and branches.

The rank emblems were embroidered for all ranks from Reichsminister to Kettenführer, while for all ranks from Oberflugmeister to Flieger they are composed of white metal.

The colour of the piping also reflects the wearer’s rank group. General and Minister ranks collar tabs feature gold-coloured piping. All ranks from Fliegerkommodore to Oberwart have silver-coloured piping. The remaining ranks from Wart to Flieger do not feature piping on their collar tabs.

The Unterflugmeister Collar Tabs are composed of coloured underlay featuring silver-coloured tress along the bottom and exterior edges, as well as two white-metal wings.