West Germany Fallschirmjager Spange

[John F.]

Hello,

Can anyone tell me what time period this West German Para badge was used, I'm guessing it was short lived? Does any one else have examples of this badge they would like to share?

Thanks,
John

[Paul Torak]

John thanks for posting your Para badge! I can only add some pics for you to compare.
These are approximately. 2 1/4" inches(58mm) long.
Highly polished, with a chrome look, and have the newer bumped front clutch backs to secure the pins.
At the time I purchased 2 of these badges(mid 90s), I was told they were from the 50s, which I kind of doubted at the time. Now that I've see the one you have, I think that old hash is pretty much settled.
Hopefully someone will be better able to set in dates for the West German paras, and if these were also awarded to Allied personnel that trained with them?

Thanks again
Dave

[John F.]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reply and posting your badge. I just found them on plate 9 of Bragg & Turner's reference book (Parachute Badges & Insignia of the World) and it states that they were in use from 1957-58, so they were short lived. It also states that they were for dress uniform. I forgot I had these book and came across it while I was packing for mypending move to Texas.

John

[Gordon Craig]

John,

Another source of this information is "German Airborne Insignia 1956-1991" by Harry Pugh. He concers with the 57/58 but adds the following;
Metal - Antique Silver - NCO
Metal - Bright Silver - officer
Metal - Gold - Navy
There was also a cloth version for reservists. It is an oval badge and in an all grey design on an green fatigue material.
Cloth, grey on olive green, period. Very sharp detail on herringbone material
Cloth, grey on olive green, later issue. "fuzzy" detail design and on a stiff cloth.
Cloth, grey on olive green, w/o white border.
Pugh says that some copies of the cloth badges were made for collectors but that all three versions were correct if issued to someone authorized to wear it.
A photo from the book of the cloth badge follows.

Regards,

Gordon

[John F.]

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for the addtional information and detailed response. Intesrting that reservists had a colth type badge, I guess they didn't rate high enough to get metal ones.

Best,
John

[speedytop]

Hi,

you are talking (writing) here about "Fallschirmspringer" (parachutist) badges, not Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) badges.

I have never heard about cloth badges for reservists, but I am not a Fallschirmjäger and I am not a Fallschirmspringer.

Everybody can buy all these old pieces (examples).

http://www.stephan.de/php/de_neuesfe...44dd87b7154075

http://www.stephan.de/php/de_neuesfe...44dd87b7154075

Regards
Uwe

[John F.]

Hi,

you are talking (writing) here about "Fallschirmspringer" (parachutist) badges, not Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) badges.

Herr Uwe,

Danke, mein Deutsch ist nicht zu gut.

mfg,
John

[Paul Torak]

John thanks again, here is one of the breast pocket badges in cloth I was able to find.
The metal badge I believe is for the beret. No flag on this one, I don't know if it an older version, or newer....
good luck on your move, I don't envy you at all. Alot of hard work in moving.

Dave

[Guardian 5]

Gents - Here's another view of the early reservist parachutist badge. The one on Stephan's site seems to be sewn on green felt. This example is in olive drab twill.

TJ

[Guardian 5]

John thanks again, here is one of the breast pocket badges in cloth I was able to find.
The metal badge I believe is for the beret. No flag on this one, I don't know if it an older version, or newer....
good luck on your move, I don't envy you at all. Alot of hard work in moving.

Dave

http://www.pxplus.com/wg/wgb1.jpg

Paul - It looks as though the badge in your picture was worn on the dress uniform. I have some sources on dates, I'll let you know what I find out.

The flagless badge did precede the "with flag" badge to the best of my knowledge.

TJ

[Guardian 5]

Here's a picture of the 57/58 stick-pin. Given it's gold coloration, it presumably was only worn by those in the Naval service.

[Guardian 5]

Here's a picture of the first post-war BRD parachutist badge.

Full disclosure: I bought these from a German dealer in Germany with the understanding that they were first model badge as issued to an early class trained by the U.S. 11th Airborne Division. The dealer said that the first class received actual U.S. badges, but later classes received European copies of the U.S. badge. This more or less agrees with Harry Pugh's version of events, but I have nothing to compare them to for verification purposes.

The top two are the European made examples, the bottom one is the contemporary American version.

Note how the European models are slightly larger than the amis version.

The Euro version on the left is a clutch back. The one set in the reproduction Bundeswehr oval is a pin back. Neither is maker marked.

Pugh states that once the 57/58 version was issued, those troopers who were originally issued with the U.S. model took them off and placed them over their left pocket as "foreign jump wings" (a custom maintained today) and placed the new Bundeswehr wings over their right pocket.

Any more info out there?

TJ

[Gordon Craig]

TJ,

Since my last post here I have been trying to find time to study these badges. It is an area I do not know well which is why I relied on what Pugh said in his book. I've only had a limited amount of time to look through my reference books but from that cursory look I didn't find any reference to an embroidered para qulification badge for BW reserve personnel. Kunswadl seems to cover it the best so I have posted the pictures from his book illustrating para qulification badges. I do not know if this coveres them all or not. It is just for reference while we continue to study the subject.
I've also noticed that in this picture there are differences between the first badge issued on the BRD national colours and your example. Interesting stuff my friend. Keep up the good work!

Regards,

Gordon

[Ralph P]

Here is a couple of badges that belong to a friend of mine. I hope it assists the ongoing discussion.

[Ralph P]

final...