History

The German Wehrmacht was composed of three main branches, the Heer (Army), the Kriegsmarine (Navy), and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). The Heer and Kriegsmarine uniforms were based upon the designs utilized by their predecessor organizations, the Reichsheer and the Kaiserliche Marine. Conversely, the Luftwaffe uniforms were based upon the uniforms worn in the sports and paramilitary organizations that were the forerunners of the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe uniforms were specifically designed to deviate from the designs of the other Wehrmacht service branches. It was also necessary that the uniforms differentiate between military and civilian pilots.

The rank insignia worn on the protective flight clothing of the Luftwaffe was first introduced in January 1936, with additional ranks added in December 1937.

The insignia has a rectangular cloth backing with various combinations of “gull” wings and horizontal bars to differentiate the ranks. For the ranks of General, Generalleutnant, and Generalmajor, the wings are composed of yellow/gold-coloured cloth, while the rectangular cloth backings are made from white cloth. For all other ranks, the wings are white coloured and worn on a tan-coloured for summer garments and a dark-blue backing for all other garments.

These insignia were worn on both arms of the protective flight clothing, protective coat/denim tunic, fatigue clothing, motorized protective coat, training tracksuits, anti-gas clothing, and anti-acid clothing. On August 4, 1942, the insignia were reduced to wear on only one arm to preserve resources.

The Stabsfeldwebel Insignia is unique, in that it features four white "gull" wings and one pip.