Gunner/radio operator badge

[Yuri D.]

Please allow me to post VERY BIG images of my badge. Let me add that I STRONGLY believe that my badge is genuine.

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[Yuri D.]

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[Yuri D.]

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[Dick Pumphrey]

Gentlemen,
All I can add to this is that I never picked up one of their badges marked with just the JMME that I could be comfortable with. I owned several over the years and never kept any except the ones with name and address. All I ever owned were Luftwaffe badges and most of my collector buddies were not impressed with JMME's either. Quality and finish were just not the same. Also, I never picked up a badge with just the name from a vet. I realize that, that alone is certainly not an indication of originality. Please understand that I did not like the badges and it was just a "gut" feeling, so to speak. I'm sorry if I have upset anyone, this was not my intention.
Sincerely,
Dick

[Dick Pumphrey]

Yuri,
I realize that I didn't fully answer you on my other post. Back when I owned Luftwaffe badges I also had BSW and Junker items. The JMME pieces were just not the same quality and did not have the same "feel". Finish work just looked very different and the JMME was stamped rather crudely on the reverse of the badges. The JMME badges with an address were just somewhat better quality and had the appearance of a real item with better worksmanship. Materials were just different. Robbert (Rudolf) Souval L/58 items were everywhere and the JMME's seemed much like them in all aspects. I sincerely hope that this helps. I did not mean to say your badge was bad ONLY that I did not care for these particular badges. Sorry.
Regards,
Dick

[Yuri D.]

Dick,

What is your opinion of the JMME Pilot's badges? The reason I ask is that these badges are considered by many advanced collectors and researchers to be 100% genuine.

Yuri

[Yuri D.]

What do others think of my badge? I have posted this one on the forum once before, and the response was positive overall. I could not find this past thread though, but I found another one related to this subject.

<a href=http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4600&highlight=jmme>JMM E Thread</a>

[IVAN]

Hi Yuri,

what I can said it's that for me is not looking as a bad one. It has all characteristics of a real Jmme and what I like particulary is the "colour" of the eagle. In front of mine it comes from another die but for this it's not very important - I thought buntmetall badges were built for nearly 6 years and in these times is normally to change maker name and styles, was more dangerous to have same marked maker and different die, As Juncker firm, Jmme too has beginnen early to do badges and of high quality.

Sure quality of nick's badge is poor and wrong in some parts and is more easy that can be a reproduction, about Yuri's badge I haven't a wrong point for to say "not war time " but if Dick know something more about badges marked only Jmme............we are interested and always ready to learn about it.

Personally I have seen 2 days ago a pilot Imme marked in buntmetall and had no problems about it, high quality and good characteristics.

follow is a Imme pilot from Detlev and I really has no problems about this badge!

[IVAN]

this is another Imme pilot from Detlev and , as we can see, it has the typical green mold that Imme's tombak badges take.
and for this too I have no doubts.

[Dick Pumphrey]

Yuri and Ivan,
First, let me say that I did not mean to imply that I was an expert on any badge. Neither did I want to hurt anyones feelings. Ok? I sold all of the Luftwaffe items I had in the late 1970's and have not purchased any since. So, the last time I had any experience with JMME badges was back then. I never liked the quality of their badges and always suspected their originality. BUT, this is just ME. I will say too, that friends of mine who also collected were not big fans of the JMME pieces and also considered them suspect. The late 1960's and the 1970's were, for me, the "glory days" of collecting. I picked up LOTS of good items locally from vets and as I said earlier, "I never picked up a JMME badge WITHOUT an address from a vet". I hope that this answers your questions and I am sorry but I really don't have any better information for you.
Sincerely,
Dick

[IVAN]

Originally posted by Dick Pumphrey
Yuri and Ivan,
First, let me say that I did not mean to imply that I was an expert on any badge. Neither did I want to hurt anyones feelings. Ok? I sold all of the Luftwaffe items I had in the late 1970's and have not purchased any since. So, the last time I had any experience with JMME badges was back then. I never liked the quality of their badges and always suspected their originality. BUT, this is just ME. I will say too, that friends of mine who also collected were not big fans of the JMME pieces and also considered them suspect. The late 1960's and the 1970's were, for me, the "glory days" of collecting. I picked up LOTS of good items locally from vets and as I said earlier, "I never picked up a JMME badge WITHOUT an address from a vet". I hope that this answers your questions and I am sorry but I really don't have any better information for you.
Sincerely,
Dick

Don't worry Dick!

Me and Yuri have exactly understood what you mean, this is your feeling and come from your old knowledges, however always taked with interesting the words from older collectors, as I think you are. Unfortunately you must know that today there are so good fakes for the big business around LW badges that we must always be alert!
regards
Ivan

[nick]

airgunner.

Hello

Well I see that there are a lot of discussion points here. I've seen a few Jmme's before that was known as original and looked just the same as my'n.
Just wanted to say that IMME pilot badges are hard to find, and has an excellent detail. (I'm searching for one myself). Sorry to say Dick, but I am a fan of I(J)MME badges. No hard feelings.

Ivan:

My'n looks (IMO) exactly the same as yours. Can you post a picture of the reverce please?

I will make some other shots of my'n tomorrow. I have to say that my badge is very durty. So that silvering part is difficult to see.

I'm still not convinst my badge is fake.

P.S: only the pin is magnetic.

See you guys tomorrow with better shots.

[Dick Pumphrey]

Hello Nick,
No hurt feelings here. This converstion amoung us collectors is very good. We learn from others opinions and feelings about certain items. I am glad for Ivan's good words also. He made me feel much better. I was only offering an opinion asked for by the first gentleman. I am an "older collector" in several ways. I have been at this hobby since 1966 and I am now 63 years OLD. So, it is nice to associate with the newer collectors. You guys have an advantage we older guys did not - you have great reference material today that was not even thought of way back then. About all we had was Colonel Atwood's dagger book and nothing on badges etc. Please don't worry about liking JMME badges. It's like beer - some of us like Coors (yuck) and some of us like Dark Saint Pauli Girl. Take care guys.
Regards,
Dick

[IVAN]

You're welcome Dick in this forum. It is open to every opinion.

Ivan

[IVAN]

Re: airgunner.

Originally posted by nick
Hello

Well I see that there are a lot of discussion points here. I've seen a few Jmme's before that was known as original and looked just the same as my'n.
Just wanted to say that IMME pilot badges are hard to find, and has an excellent detail. (I'm searching for one myself). Sorry to say Dick, but I am a fan of I(J)MME badges. No hard feelings.

Ivan:

My'n looks (IMO) exactly the same as yours. Can you post a picture of the reverce please?

I will make some other shots of my'n tomorrow. I have to say that my badge is very durty. So that silvering part is difficult to see.

I'm still not convinst my badge is fake.

P.S: only the pin is magnetic.

See you guys tomorrow with better shots.

Sorry Nick but if you look the points I said before, you will see big differents, especially in the legs part. If you look for example a Juncker airgunner, you will see that even if it comes from another die, it has nearly the same characteristics.
here is my reverse side and you can see difference in rivets and cacth's position but....what I want to notice to you again is the colour of the eagle in the reverse side too => for my knowledge is VERY, VERY IMPORTANT this point ( this today the fakers cannot make the same effect! )