Hello,
I have been searching for quite some time after Glider pilots who are wearing LW flight clasps and a forum member asked me sometime ago if Glider pilots could get a LW flight clasp , at that time i could not give him any certain answers .
I have found the evidence that they sure could receive a flight clasp as Glider pilot crews .
The following pictures of Uffz. Karl- heinz Henking shows him in front of a Go 242 ( from the 1.Go242 Staffel Don => look at the units sign !! ) wearing the LW flight clasp for TRasport and Glider squadrons besides the Glider pilots badge and the EK II ribbon .
This is not so evident as one might consider that these crews flew mostly supply missions and did not easely get enough days to qualify for a certain clasp , besides this there missions where often very dangerous ( If a enemy fighter could attack them they had virtually no defense )and many of these crews did not survive the war.
Pictures of these Glider pilots could be considered relatively rare and a picture showing a glider pilot that is fairly wel decorated is even rarer.
ONe can reply that for example this men received his Flight clasp as a member from another unit but im certain this is not always the case .
For example i have copies of the original award documents belonging to Wilhelm Schaedler ( see the chronicle about this person in the Glider pilots section )and this person also qualified for the lW flight clasp in Bronze on 19.11.1943 ( He was enlisted as a GLider pilot from 1941 untill late 1944 )
In a reply i will post this award document ( unfortunattly i do not have the originals !!!! )
Iff there are other members who have similar pictures concerning the Glider pilots please show them, i would be happy to see more .
Sincerely Yours,
I have been searching for quite some time after Glider pilots who are wearing LW flight clasps and a forum member asked me sometime ago if Glider pilots could get a LW flight clasp , at that time i could not give him any certain answers .
I have found the evidence that they sure could receive a flight clasp as Glider pilot crews .
The following pictures of Uffz. Karl- heinz Henking shows him in front of a Go 242 ( from the 1.Go242 Staffel Don => look at the units sign !! ) wearing the LW flight clasp for TRasport and Glider squadrons besides the Glider pilots badge and the EK II ribbon .
This is not so evident as one might consider that these crews flew mostly supply missions and did not easely get enough days to qualify for a certain clasp , besides this there missions where often very dangerous ( If a enemy fighter could attack them they had virtually no defense )and many of these crews did not survive the war.
Pictures of these Glider pilots could be considered relatively rare and a picture showing a glider pilot that is fairly wel decorated is even rarer.
ONe can reply that for example this men received his Flight clasp as a member from another unit but im certain this is not always the case .
For example i have copies of the original award documents belonging to Wilhelm Schaedler ( see the chronicle about this person in the Glider pilots section )and this person also qualified for the lW flight clasp in Bronze on 19.11.1943 ( He was enlisted as a GLider pilot from 1941 untill late 1944 )
In a reply i will post this award document ( unfortunattly i do not have the originals !!!! )
Iff there are other members who have similar pictures concerning the Glider pilots please show them, i would be happy to see more .
Sincerely Yours,
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