An Original Unissued German WWII Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger Smock

As a means of introduction, the firm International Military Antiques (IMA), and its founder in 1981, Christian Cranmer, gained significant fame with the protracted negotiation and final purchase of the entire contents of the state arsenal of the nation of Nepal, in the capitol, Katmandu. The single most important element being a very large quantity of .577/.450 cal. Mk II Martini-Henry Pattern 1877 rolling-block breach loading rifles, manufactured at the Birmingham Arsenal dated 1878. They had been stored in the same place, untouched for 100 years. These were from the exact production lot which had been in standard issue to the men of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (South Wales Borderers) wo fought the Battle of Rorke’s Drift against the Zulus on 22-23 January 1879. Needless to say I purchased one of the premium completely refurbished rifles when they first became available.

 In this author’s personal opinion, while the company has regularly offered some historically significant pieces, there have also consistently been some dubious items, clearly misidentified/misdated, and at highly inflated prices.When questioned they have tended to get rather defensive, and have not rectified the issue or withdrawn the item.

 However, on other occasions they have acquired some real gems. Fortunately I collect WWII British Airborne Forces militaria, and am fortunately not even tempted, but certainly have a full appreciation of the item which they are currently offering for sale. The only reason I’m presenting the item is in order that those collectors who might be tempted, or already have one within their collection, can use this example as collaboration, full authentication, and valuation. This author has no direct or indirect interest in the item.

 The item is a circa 1944 original German WWII Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger Smock in Tan and Water camouflage, in excellent, unissued, condition. It is currently at offer for $8,995.00. Price recently reduced to $7,995.00. For those collectors who are in the specific field, this may not be an exorbitant price. However, that large a reduction in price, immediately raises my antennae, in that someone may have seen something that brings authenticity under question. Or it just may be the current market.  Personally have a rare unissued original British dummy parachutist device (Device, Camouflage, No.15), fortunately a very generous gift, but within the same comparable price range. One of the first questions that comes to mind is where was the smock found.

 The following is IMA’s Item Description:

“ Original Item: Only One Available. This is an incredibly rare circa 1944 WWII German Luftwaffe Paratrooper Smock in “Tan and Water” camouflage pattern. The Smock is in excellent, unissued, condition, and one of the fi nest specimens we have ever seen! All of the original blue glass buttons are present. The “Zipp” brand zippers, which were purpose built for this style of smock, and all in excellent working order. Each zipper has a crosshatch black leather pull tab. The snaps are all intact and marked "PRYM". The reverse has the pistol pocket with small black bakelite buttons. The snaps at the cuffs are identical to those at the hem for the leg closure. All snaps function as intended. The breast eagle is machine embroidered and is hand stitched onto the smock with purple/blue thread. It should be noted that this hand-application is most likely period, as there is no evidence that an eagle was previously machine-applied. The interior is unlined and uses a mix of green and blue Herringbone Twill cloth for pocket reinforcements, etc. The original size adjustment draw string is in place and secured underneath with a strip of purple/blue cloth. Note that on several sections of material inside the body panels of the Smock that “16” is written in grease pencil. These are cutter markings from when the Smock was made in the factory! Generally these are worn off with even the lightest of wear! No other markings are to be found in the Smock, which is not uncommon for a late war garment. Overall, an incredible late war Fallschirmjäger smock offered in truly excellent condition. 

Approximate Measurements: Collar to Shoulder: 10” Shoulder to Sleeve: 23.5” Shoulder to Shoulder: 20.5” Chest Width: 20” Waist Width: 20” Front Length: 40”.

The Fallschirmjäger were the paratrooper branch of the German Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first German paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations and came to be known as the "green devils" by the Allied forces they fought against. The Fallschirmjäger were very effective when used in commando style raids. The Fallschirmjäger were famous for their willingness to give every effort unwaveringly even in the grimmest of situations. The Fallschirmjäger were seldom used as parachutists. Instead, they were prized for their combat abilities and frequently acted in a "fire brigade" role as roving elite infantrymen. Throughout World War II the Fallschirmjäger commander was Kurt Student."

 It is with full acknowledgment and gratitude to IMA that the following comprehensive set of imagery is presented solely for reference/comparative purposes.