Luftwaffe Officer's Clothing Bag

[Dillinger022]

Hi,

I recently acquired this clothing bag that looks to be WW2 Luftwaffe but I can't find any markings on it. It also doesn't look like the standard pattern of officer's clothing bag (Bekleidungssack für Offizier).
Is it a non-standard private purchase bag or maybe a West German Air Force bag? It definitely has some age to it.

Thanks.

[Edward Lionheart]

Hello.
This is old, yes, but not german at all, it is of italian origin as the colored leather straps and the very specific quick release system on the right strap would indicate.
I own a similar one that was brought back, according to old family lore, from a POW camp in Germany by my great grand mother's boyfriend.
When he, along other prisonners, were liberated by american soldiers, they were encouraged to pick up items among the pile that belonged to the former wardens to prepare for the long voyage back home, so he chose that backpack to stash his meager belongings in it.
That's a nice story, and I hope it is true, yet so far I haven't been able to clearly identify the type and model of the backpack, that because of its blue tint, should be linked to the Regia Aeronautica.

[Dillinger022]

Thanks for the insight!

[Edward Lionheart]

You are welcome.
I own two of these backpacks, one very worn out and the other that came out of a flea market almost brand new, yet none is showing any military unit nor factory stamps with a date anywhere.

[Dillinger022]

I wonder if the Schiffer book 'Flying Equipment of the Italian Air Force in World War II' can shed some light on this bag although it seems to be focused entirely on flying equipment.

[Edward Lionheart]

Hello.
I have my doubts about that.
Eventhough I have no reliable data on these backpacks they really look like something ground troops would use, why bother with backstraps and a mess kit front pocket if you take it with you in an aircraft ?
A simple leather or webbing handle would be a more practical choice to me.

[Dillinger022]

Makes sense. But I was thinking more of a bag for officers to transport their belongings on the ground, like the Luftwaffe officer's clothing bag (Bekleidungssack für Offizier) which does have straps to carry it like a backpack.

Maybe the book "Italy at War: Uniforms, Weapons, Equipment and Ephemera" by Arditi Books has something on this bag (more specifically in Chapter 3).

[Edward Lionheart]

I see your point, but the Luftwaffe clothing bag is more of a suitcase that grew some backstraps than a true backpack.
Unfortunately I do not own the book you mentioned, but it's certainly worth checking.

[Dillinger022]

Yes indeed, the Luftwaffe bag was built with backpack-type straps in mind, not as an afterthought like with the Italian bag.

I purchased the digital version of the book "Italy at War" but unfortunately it doesn't cover our bags. It covers several Italian Army bags but none bear any resemblance to our bag. A very interesting book otherwise though.