Luftwaffe Enlisted Man's Leather Belt and Buckle

Another fabulous item that is entirely new to the market and most unusually comes with confirmed wartime provenance. It was recently discovered in the Normandy The village of Saint-Vaast-d'Equiqueville, located 25 kms south of Dieppe, and in WWII was the GHQ of Generalleutnant Erwin Sander, commander of the 245. Infanterie-Division. The 17th Luftwaffe Field Division was based in the village from 1942 and six men were billeted at a local farm. When posted elsewhere at short notice in 1944 in the rush to pack up and leave they left behind some items of equipment, including this belt. The current owner of the farm was a boy of 15 in 1944 and took the belt as a souvenir when their uninvited 'guests' left and has remained with him in Normandy ever since.

The belt is in fine original condition although it is clear the unnamed original owner was very slim, as the belt has been field shortened with the adjustment strap removed from its original position and somewhat crudely resewn to suit a smaller waist, as evidenced in the photographs. The belt is stamped with the makers name Joseph Moll, Gogh and dated 1937. The pre-war specification brown leather is in fine original condition, as is the early aluminium buckle and clip. The eagle, swastika and wreath are all well defined but with some evidence of service wear. The back of the buckle is stamped '39' whilst the hook attachment is embossed 'OLC' in a diamond surround. Sadly the belt is not named but we can only hope the wartime owner was not put on a charge when this essential piece of Luftwaffe property was found missing!

Clearly here the story behind the belt is as important as the belt itself and we will supply a written letter confirming the wartime provenance so the associated history is not lost in the future.