BW parachute badges for review

[achern]

The US pattern badge with the Kalka stamp on the rear. Real or fake?


The Assmann pinback badge in bright silver:


Sseveral embroidered modern design wings:


The large silver with gold wreath 1st class wing, Kalka made:


The modern Assmann logo 1st class gold wing used today:


And the cloth GSG9 wing and a jumpmaster patch:


Comments on these badges, especially the Kalka badges, are welcome!

[RamJet]

Kalka is a manufacturer who sells badges and patches to everyone. These privately purchased badges are widely used by Bundeswehr soldiers. They produce the US jump badge (and other nations badges) for those who earned the respective badge and want more then one example for their different uniforms.

I usually ordered my name tags from Kalka.

The "embroidered modern design wings" show the Fallschirmjäger badge initially introduced when the Bundeswehr was established. Short-lived, but I do not know how long.

[Guardian 5]

achern - It's difficult to say what an original, circa 1956 BW parachute backing design ("oval") looks like.

The below example what thought by some to represent the original design, but that isn't to say your set is not.

I hope more BW old timers like RamJet weigh in with their opinions. Unfortunately, there is little authoratative reference material on this subject. There is much firmer ground to stand on with the newer models.

Thanks for the excellent photos of your later examples.

All the best - TJ

[Guardian 5]

In this picture, we can see in the bottom set of wings a modern reproduction of the original BW jump wing oval.

The wings themselves are of European manufacture, most likely French or Belgian.

[Guardian 5]

Bundeswehr collectors in the U.S. generally rely on Harry Pugh's book, German Airborne Insignia 1956-1992, for detailed information on modern German jump wings.

Below is an excerpt from his book on early BW jump wings. Unfortunately, the illustrations are difficult to make out. It is clear however, that your oval is a closer match to these pictures than the known reproduction illustrated above.

All the best - TJ

[achern]

Thanks for your opinions gentlemen!

These badges were all obtained from several collectors quite a number of years ago, but the only ones that I can say for sure are period and original items are the modern design wings, the "A" badge, and the current gold German badge.

Both Kalka wings are definitely in question, as I have never seen a confirmed-original example in person.

Tom, the embroidery on your original oval definitely looks tighter and more "European". Mine is rather coarse, but it does look like the illustration. One can never have enough good photographs to use for comparison!

The Kalka-USA wings in the illustration look very much like original US Army wings, especially in the wreath and star.

The wing that I have looks very different, especially in the shoulders where the bottom of the wings join with the parachute.

[Guardian 5]

achern - I'll keep searching the archives for more original examples.

This subject area is one of the many poorly understood areas of the early Bundeswehr.

All the best - TJ

[Kondor]

Kalka Store!

Not to divert too much, but I had a friend at Sheridan Kaserne with the 8 inch Arty Bn. I would stop by and pick him up on the way to Munich to hit the flea markets on Saturday. We would often stop off at the Kalka store as they had great prices on Hummel Figuren. I went there also to pick up a pronged airborne badge as the won I was awarded was the pin back variety. Much easier to get teh badge centered with the prongs! Anyway, just came across my Hummel catalog the other day, hijacked of course by Kalka. They had just about everything and anything in that store! Leistung abzeichen in cloth, not a problem! Subdued for the fatigue uniform, that was the only place I knew of in the 70's that had them!

[achern]

In this picture, we can see in the bottom set of wings a modern reproduction of the original BW jump wing oval.
The wings themselves are of European manufacture, most likely French or Belgian.

I sent the pictures to Harry Pugh in an email for his opinion, and he tells me that without any doubt the 1st pattern US Army master wings on coloured oval and 4th pattern large silver and gold 1st class wings, both with the Kalka hallmark, are genuine and period examples. Unless of course Kalka has been making restrikes!