WW1 GERMAN ARMY AIR SERVICE BAVARIAN OFFICERS LITEWKA UNIFORM - NAMED

WW1 Bavarian aviation officers early war Litewka tunic and trousers (not to be confused with the 'Kleiner Rock', which were introduced from late 1915).

Both the Litewka's and Kleiner Rock's were very popular with pilots because they were a more comfortable uniform to wear.

Made with the distinct Litewka soft doeskin silvery grey wool material and with the straight lower pockets. Two rows of silver (Bavarian) buttons, and matching collar patches and slip-on type shoulder boards and all corresponding in colour for the 8th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment.

Matching gilded winged propellers on each shoulder board and with vertical loops for one award on the left hand side (presumably for a Bavarian pilots or observers badge) and a smaller set of vertical loops on the right hand side (possibly for an Austro-Hungarian pilots badge or Gallipoli Star). And with a nice pair of dark navy coloured straight-leg trousers of similar soft doeskin wool material with WW1 period matching metal buttons marked 'solide neuheit'.

Named to a Lt 'Rothe' or "Bothe' (as it is hard to tell the first letter being period hand-written in ink italics).

Initial research has found a PLM winner, Fritz Ritter von Roth, who did serve in the 8th Bavarian Atty Regiment, before joining the the Air Service in late 1917, and he was famous for being known as the "Balloon Buster". Although his spelling differs, with the 'e' at the end, Roth(e) was spelt both ways, and it is a well known Southern German surname with both spellings being used (in the same way that Goring was also spelt Goering).

Code: 50141