My Kassel find and new discovery

[Giel VW]

Hi guys,

I'm just back home from the Kassel fair and this time it was this badge which made my trip all worth it.

The first type of FLL with the nickel silver pin, and earlier type of hinge and catch. This set up can also be found in the complete family of FLL such as the pilot observer, pilot, airgunner, etc... but also on some Kriegsmarine badges like the destroyer for example.

The badge shows a very thick and very high quality finish with copper undercoating. Two very clean and tight zink rivets can also be found on the more common later types.

Hope you all like the new discovery

Giel

ps: Tom, I think you will need a new type A for the book

[Mike TM]

Nice catch

Mike

[Giel VW]

An example I picked out here on the forum of the Luftwaffe paratrooper featuring the same style of set up.

[AndyC]

Great find



Andy

[Arctic War]

Stunning badge Giel! Congrats on the find.

Kind regards,

AW

[upbeek]

Nice badge well done

Kind regards Chay

[TWS]

Congratulations on the find Giel.
That's a nice one.
See you again at SOS?

[Giel VW]

Congratulations on the find Giel.
That's a nice one.
See you again at SOS?

Always at the SOS show Todd

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Giel,

Looks great, textbook FLL hardware and finish we expect from studying other FLL products. I assume there is no catchplate, like we see on other FLL LW badges, correct? Nice find and pick up, indeed a great discovery.

Its interesting, I still get push back from a few collectors who are adamant that Juncker was the only maker of the Heer Para badge, despite all the circumstantial evidence I lay out in the Paratrooper Badge book. Seeing this FLL Para only adds more credibility to the claim that FLL Heer paras are legitimate wartime variants.

Tom

[Dave Wyatt]

Super FLL Giel.

[Giel VW]

Hi Giel,

Looks great, textbook FLL hardware and finish we expect from studying other FLL products. I assume there is no catchplate, like we see on other FLL LW badges, correct? Nice find and pick up, indeed a great discovery.

Its interesting, I still get push back from a few collectors who are adamant that Juncker was the only maker of the Heer Para badge, despite all the circumstantial evidence I lay out in the Paratrooper Badge book. Seeing this FLL Para only adds more credibility to the claim that FLL Heer paras are legitimate wartime variants.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the reply. The catch is indeed soldered directly onto the badge like many other FLL's. This type of work is for sure not the earliest for the whole FLL production, but I think when it comes to the army para it will be.