Aircraft Destruction Badge

[Tommy]

If this Badge by somone on the Photo???
Or has someone Infos about this Badge???Was there someone who has worn this badge???

[Gene]

This is yet another fantasy badge that never saw production

[David S]

It was instituted on 12 January 1945 and probably never made past the design stage, let alone being issued.

According to most references all examples of these are post-war.

Although I have seen one at a militaria show in Northern California being sold as original. The price was somewhere near $200. (I can't remember exactly as it was 1995)

[Stijn David]

never existed

Hello,


Im with Gene on this one => the badge itself never existed ( or so I believe ), it was instituted late in the war but never reached the point of being made ( distributed, etc .. )

There exist however a formal award document for this but it is a non portable award called " Die Anerkennungsurkunde des ObdH fur Flugzeugabschusse " , this award could be earned by anyone who was able to shoot down a enemy plane with Infantery weapons ( such as Rifle , etc ... ) , needles to say it is extreme rare to encounter and there is a book in German about this one, written by Veit Scherzer .

So iff you want such a thing try and locate the large presentation award document and forgett the so called wearable version, the last one is a 1957 Bundeswehr replacement creation for the holders of the award certificate IMHO.

Cordial Greetings,

[W. C. Stump]

THE BADGE

The badge for shooting down low-flying aircraft was produced in extremely limited numbers. Reproductions have been around since the late 60's and are now sold as original. The badge was reissued by the 1957 regulations, I think. Jorg Nimmergut has an original example featured in his book DEUTSCHE ORDEN UND EHRENZEICHEN BIS 1945, page 2329.`Below is am example of the reproduction.

[W. C. Stump]

FROM NIMMERGUT

Note the design of the Russian airplane compared to the post war reproduction. A very slight difference can be seen. No evidence that the badge was ever produced except in tool room examples and possibly a promotional awarding exists. the tool room examples probably account for the design in the 1957 and reproduced badges.

[W. C. Stump]

1957 REISSUE

Here is an example of the 1957 reissue badge.

[W. C. Stump]

1957 REISSUE

1957 REISSUED BADGE.

[Stijn David]

Aircraft destruction badge

Hello,


Dear Bill, could you post more about from where the so called " Nimmergut " badge came from ?, ( it is not because it is shown in a nimmergut refference book that somethings is original !!, there are mistakes known in his books ( as he is also human ! )) . I would really like to know as I strongly believe that hunting down such a original Aircraft destruction badge is the same as hunting down a dream ( in other words : be realistic and do not believe it ).

The only tracable reccord of this type of award is as said before the " Anerkennungsurkunde des ObdH des Heeres fur Flugzeugabschusse 1941 - 1945 "
and this could be awarded to both single soldiers and units

regarding numbers of this award ( document ) :

there are a total of 591 awarded ( from September 1941 untill February 1945 ), from these 591 there are only about 525 printed and send out ( this is not the same as actual handed out !!!!! , for example a lot of award docs. went missing in the postal system by bombing, etc .. etc .. )

from this 591 awards it is known that 285 where so called awarded towards single soldiers ( this can be devided further in : 17 towards officers and 268 towards other ranks ) and the rest ( = 306 ) towards units.

I think this subject has been spit out in the past in good detail and a search in our archives can reveal quite some info for the interested persons.


Cordial greetings,

[W. C. Stump]

NIMMERGUT EXAMPLE

"hunting down such a original Aircraft destruction badge is the same as hunting down a dream."

The above statement is 99% true. As per the Nimmergutt example, the tattered cloth strip and the distinct Russian plane with the three outline circles on the front of the fuselage were on a badge like, if not the same badge, that a German collector/dealer had with a field telegram notifying the recipients that he had been awarded this badge. I examined the badge in the early 70's, tried to purchase it even, but the price was approximately $250.00. That was a lot of money and I passed on the badge. I did find the example I first posted and was told at the time that it was a post war example. At the time I never knew if it was a 1957 version or a plain out and out reproduction. What I do know is that I have never seen another example like is featured in Nimmergut's book in last past 30 years. Take note of the design of the fuselage and remember the deep cut circles in the front and how weak all the reproductions and even the 1957 version is in comparison. I would be confortable with an example like ti, but wouldn't loose any sleep trying to look for one. Anything else is an illusion or just a dream of what might have been nearly 60 years ago.