Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 243:
Description
Rare WWI-Era German Imperial Aviator’s Ensemble: Double-Breasted Leather Coat, Flight Helmet, Tinted Goggles, and Boelling Three-Finger Flying Gloves. Offered here is an exceptionally rare and complete German Imperial flying ensemble dating from the First World War, circa 1914-1918. This grouping represents the rugged, specialized gear used by early pilots of the Imperial German Luftstreitkraefte. Its significance lies in the provenance of its components, most notably the Boelling flight gloves, which serve as a critical anchor to the operational period of the Great War. The coat is fashioned from heavy greenish-tan leather in a double-breasted, six-button front with wide notched lapels, two scalloped flap breast pockets, two lower flap pockets, and shoulder loops. The four-panel flight helmet is dark brown/black leather with functional ear flaps, chin strap, and buckle. The folding goggles retain amber-tinted lenses within fur-lined frames. The gloves are an authentic, matched pair of WWI-era pilot’s flying gauntlets featuring a distinct three-section trigger-finger design: a separate thumb, an isolated index finger, and a combined mitten section for the remaining digits. Construction includes padded insulation throughout, palm reinforcement panels, a wrist snap-strap on the right glove, and a lanyard tether with a metal grommet on the left. Both palms exhibit blue-black fluid staining, a poignant detail consistent with operational exposure to cockpit lubricants. Condition is consistent with genuine WWI-era service. The coat shows surface patina and light scuffing, with minor lining wear. The helmet leather remains supple. The goggle lenses and padding are intact. The gloves are structurally sound but heavily soiled and darkened from combat service, offering tangible, evocative testimony to the harsh, open-cockpit conditions of the Great War’s aerial pioneers.
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