{"product_id":"luftwaffe-oberstleutnant-shoulder-board-flight-branch-unit-4-single-original","title":"Luftwaffe Oberstleutnant Shoulder Board Flight Branch Unit 4 Single Original","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a single original shoulder board (Schulterstück) for an Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) of the German Luftwaffe, flying branch, of a numbered unit designated 4. The identification rests on three visible features taken together: the interwoven flat silver braid of the field-officer (Stabsoffizier) pattern, the single gilt rank star, and the golden-yellow underlay that in the Luftwaffe branch-color (Waffenfarbe) system denotes flying personnel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe board is built up from four rows of Russian braid worked in matte silver aluminum cord, plaited in the herringbone-and-loop configuration used across Luftwaffe field-officer boards, and mounted on a base of golden-yellow woven wool. A single gilt metal rank star (Stern) with a rayed field and a corded center ring is affixed to the lower braid; on a braided Luftwaffe field-officer board, one star marks Oberstleutnant, no star marks Major, and two stars mark Oberst. A gilt metal numeral 4 is set on the upper braid, indicating assignment to a unit numbered four; the precise formation is not determinable from the numeral alone in the provided images. A pebbled, gray-finished button is fitted at the rounded head. The reverse is finished in matching golden-yellow cloth with a sewn retaining tongue that closes on a metal snap fastener and passes under a horizontal cross-strap, the standard slide-on mounting for wear over the tunic's shoulder-strap bridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eHistorically, the golden-yellow Waffenfarbe was carried by the Luftwaffe's flying troops (fliegende Truppen), the branch to which aircrew belonged and, in the earlier war years, the Fallschirmjäger before they were later given their own arrangements. Field-officer boards of this construction were produced throughout the Luftwaffe's existence from the mid-1930s to 1945. Rank on the German shoulder board is read from the braid type and the number of stars rather than from any single device: the twin-cord field-officer braid places the wearer among the Stabsoffiziere, and the single star fixes the grade at Oberstleutnant, one rank below Oberst and one above Major.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThere is no maker's mark, size stamp, or ink notation visible in the provided images; if any marking is present under the retaining tongue or on the reverse it would add to the record but is not required for the identification. No measurements were supplied, so none are stated here; comparable Luftwaffe field-officer boards of this pattern typically run near 10 to 11 cm in length.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eIn condition the board is complete and sound. The silver braid remains bright with no fraying visible in the images, and the gilt star, numeral, and button retain an even, mellow tone consistent with age. The golden-yellow wool shows light surface fuzzing and a few small marks near the head. The snap fastener and cross-strap are intact. As a single board rather than a matched pair, it is presented as removed from or intended for one shoulder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor collectors, flying-branch boards in golden-yellow are among the most sought Luftwaffe insignia because they tie directly to aircrew service, and a board carrying a unit numeral is more desirable than a plain example because it points to a specific numbered formation rather than a generic rank. Field-officer grades survive in smaller numbers than junior-officer and enlisted insignia, and a numbered flight Oberstleutnant board sits at the more collectible end of the single-board market. Pricing is set against recent dealer results for comparable Luftwaffe flight field-officer boards, with an allowance below matched-pair figures for a single example and a modest premium for the unit numeral.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50228028276975,"sku":"23-12","price":118.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/9169\/5855\/files\/23-12_1.jpg?v=1784849665","url":"https:\/\/derrittmeister.com\/products\/luftwaffe-oberstleutnant-shoulder-board-flight-branch-unit-4-single-original","provider":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}