The Luftwaffe Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot's Kitbag (Paperback)
Uniforms & Equipment from the Summer of 1940 and the Human Stories Behind Them
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Reichsmarschall Göring told Hitler that it would take less than a month for his much-vaunted Luftwaffe to conquer the RAF and pave the way for the German invasion of Great Britain. His prediction was to prove disastrously wrong, but for four long months his pilots and aircrew fought for their lives in the skies above the UK.
From their bases in continental Europe, the Luftwaffe’s fighter pilots escorted the great bomber fleets that sought to destroy the RAF’s airfields and installations, and tackled the Spitfires and Hurricanes deployed to defend Britain’s towns and cities. Whilst much has been written on the titanic struggle for supremacy fought throughout the summer of 1940 and of the men and machines of both sides, little attention has been paid to what the pilots wore and carried with them in the air.
All the objects that a Luftwaffe fighter pilot was issued with during the Battle of Britain are explored in this book in high-definition colour photographs, showing everything from the differing uniforms, to headgear, personal weapons, gloves, goggles, parachute packs and the essential life jacket. Each item is fully described and its purpose and use explained.
Fly with the Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Bf 110s across the Channel and see what the Luftwaffe aircrew wore as they took on Fighter Command in what was justly called the Battle of Britain.
Congratulations to Mark Hillier - this is a great reference book. Showcasing items from personal collections, providing detailed information on the specific items worn, carried and used by Luftwaffe personnel during the summer of 1940 - the coverage is exhaustive and this should be on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in Luftwaffe uniforms and equipment. I hope that this type of book could be considered for other periods of the Second World War, as this could be a great series in the future.
Recollections of WWII
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With the help of private collectors of such Ausrüstung, Mark Hillier has put together an entertainingly insightful 137-page softback detailing German fighter pilots’ flying helmets, oxygen masks, goggles (oh, the goggles!), flying clothing, lifesaving equipment, Service dress and other ephemera. It’s brilliantly done — and completely engrossing.
The Aviation Historian, issue 30
"A good book for anyone interested in military aviation, and ex-military aviators will note how lifesaving equipment has improved considerably in the past seventy-five years."
Captain Andy Brown Log Board member
Review by
“The Luftwaffe Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot’s Kitbag” is every Luftwaffe militaria collector’s dream. It is not just a great reference but a pleasure to flick through and a feast for your eyes. It does not go into the nitty gritty of a piece which more focused collectors often get caught up on, but instead seeks to identify and present the pieces in relation to each other - how they would be worn, and of course to the BoB. As such, as any collector would understand, Hillier’s book is quite an undertaking, which has been successfully realised. It would be a valuable addition to the militaria book shelf and something a general WW2 collector, curator, props manager, modeller, and/or military historian would certainly find valuable. I had a feeling that I would like the book when I first spied its cover and it does not disappoint... and I am not a Luftwaffe collector!
The OCAD Collection
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As featured in
Fliegerblatt, February 2019
As featured by
Airfix Model World, July 2019
Almost coincidentally, I have started adding pilots and crew to some of my models, as well as placing them on diorama bases, (which I feel helps to give them a sense of scale and size), so books about air and ground crew’s clothing are starting to interest me.
Neil Robinson, IPMS, 2019
Much has been written about the actions fought throughout the summer and autumn of 1940 and of the men and machines of both sides, but less attention has been paid to what the aircrew wore and carried with them in the air. This particular book helps to redress that inbalance.
Primarily focusing on the items that a Luftwaffe fighter pilot was issued with during the Battle of Britain, the book is split in to seven sections covering flying helmets, oxygen masks, goggles, flying clothing, lifesaving equipment, service dress and ancillary equipment such as watches, navigational equipment and maps. Each item is described and its purpose and use explained using contemporary b&w photos, items of clothing and artefacts from private collections (in useful colour), and full colour illustrations, all with informative captions.
As IPMS Battle of Britain SIG Leader you might expect me to have a particular interest in this book, which is going to prove very useful in the months to come leading up the battle’s 80th Anniversary!
Frontline Books also publish a companion volume, ‘The RAF Battle of Britain Fighter Pilots' Kitbag: Uniforms, Arms and Equipment from the Summer of 1940’ for those who might be interested.
here are some fantastic colour images of the badges and patches worn by the Luftwaffe pilots. Each image has been reproduced in really clear, and close-up detail. Hiller writes informatively about each piece of Luftwaffe equipment and items of clothing, telling the reader when, where and why each item was worn. The author also discusses variants of parachutes and different personal weapons in some detail, all these are again backed up by fantastic colour photographs juxtaposed with black and white images of the equipment actually in service during the Battle of Britain.
Stand Easy
I really enjoyed this book and think an entry-level collector of Luftwaffe militaria would find it a very interesting and informative read.
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This stunning well illustrated book would be a joy to any modeller, collector or indeed any one interested in the aircraft of this period, so much detail is included, even down the manufacturer's markings and dates, as well as many superb period photographs of the young men looking dashing alongside their aircraft. In fact the only omission I could find in this well researched book was pilots dogs(?) although enough appear in the photos to get a general idea.
Army Rumour Service (ARRSE)
Hardback, 135 pages with hundreds of high quality photographs both modern and period, maps and drawings; a fascinating and insightful read, a book that you could re-read, and learn more each time; also great for watching war films and spotting the errors.
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This book is as good as a museum visit, the photographs are that good!
Books Monthly
Masterpiece with essential documentation for our library.
Miniaturas JM
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A short part deals with clothing services, patents and the work ends with watches, calculators, navigation maps and documents nominative, a very good idea! The vintage photos are very good quality, which is not unfortunately always the case of color shots.
Militaria Magazine, April 2019
Having seen many books about uniforms and equipment I can say few are in the same league as The Luftwaffe Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot´s Kitbag by Mark Hillier... This is a very useful guide for museum staff, private collectors, the film industry, reenactors and model figure enthusiasts.
Lars Gyllenhall, Blogger
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This book is like getting a little museum in your home!... A truly interesting and very complete and exhaustive reference book, interesting for historians, modelers and yes, pilots alike.
Flyin' and Ridin' Blog, Francois A. Dumas
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Whether you build miniatures or just enjoy immersing yourself in martial history, this aficionado’s reference volume will add a new layer of value to your collection.
Schopenhauer's Workshop
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A book that I recommend for the amount of information and photographs it contains.
Old Barbed Wire Blog
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A fascinating, informative and highly enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the Luftwaffe in WWII.
A Question Of Scale, Seb Palmer
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There are fantastic pictures in it... the niche market it's aimed for will love it.
The View From The Turret Vlog
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Overall, I rate this book very highly and it is great that the author has produced this pair
Military Archive Research, Dr Stuart C Blank
of books. He does deserve commending and has obviously spent many hours
researching them. Put simply they are a great and entertaining read and I am confident
you will find this too. For Luftwaffe or Battle of Britain enthusiasts they will be a great
buy.
Add some memories from a few of the veterans who used all this gear we have a well detailed coverage of the German fighter pilot's personal equipment from the early period of the war. There are illustrations from Luftwaffe manuals showing how kit should be laid out in a wardrobe for inspection. The item that I had not expected or seen before, was a uniform carry bag. The information and the colour pictures of surviving items are ideal for militaria collectors, re-enactors and modellers alike. As a modeller myself, this offers a fine reference, interesting for the historian in me as well.
Military Model Scene, Robin Buckland
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An interesting book of 137 pages divided into 7 sections each covering a different part of the pilot’s kit in detail, many photos in both monochrome and colour are included and references include the dates when each item was introduced. Details of non-issue items are also included.
Mervyn John White
Items covered range from the obvious helmets and uniforms through oxygen masks, personal weapons and safety equipment to the less noticeable wound badges each covered in detail. Reproductions from the authors collection of maps, log books and the Luftwaffe handbook are included which gives an insight into what was issued as basic equipment. The human stories behind many of the featured artefacts are told which makes this book an excellent read for students of the period of history as well as model makers.
Many pages of the above-mentioned Luftwaffe handbook are reproduced (some in colour) which will help with using correct shoulder flashes and insignia on uniforms both flight and dress. There are even diagrams of how to pack a field pack and store kit in barracks.
As many of the photos are in colour and not always pristine items this will be especially useful to anyone building the increasing range of both 1/48 and 1/32 aircraft where the extra detail should enable the modeller to really make the cockpit area ‘pop’. Altogether excellent value at £14.99.
About Mark Hillier
MARK HILLIER is Head of Operations at Spitfires.com. He has a deep knowledge of the history of the RAF, with a particular focus on the Second World War. He is also a qualified pilot, having flown for more than thirty-four years as an instructor and PPL pilot. Mark has flown many different types of aircraft from gliders to vintage tailwheel types, including the DH Chipmunk, Boeing Stearman and T6 Texan. He has previously written or co-authored fourteen successful books on aviation, including the authorised biography of Wing Commander Thomas Murray DSO, DFC and Bar, contributed numerous magazine articles, advised, and appeared on, a number of television programmes, and is a regular public speaker on aviation matters.
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