Rare Alu.Luft.Badge

[Pieter Verbruggen]

This is one of the rarest Luftwaffe Aluminium badges we know.
This Fliegererinnerungs-abzeichen is made of aluminium, Juncker makermarked and in mint condition.
Pieter.

[Mark S.]

beautiful badge Pieter!

I have never quite understood what the purpose of these were though. Were they honorary, official, or only awarded on a squadron level?

Why would a retired pilot need a badge? Wouldnt they just wear their WW I flyer badge? Were these worn on civilian clothes or a military uniform?

What kind of records of these (if any) exsists? I always wondered if these went to incapacitated pilots that were too wounded to fly again or to old timer WW I pilots that were too old?

So many questions! Can anyone answer? I want to learn!

[Philippe DB]

Hi Pieter,

Exceptional and very nice badge. Personnaly I even didn't know that they were ever made in aluminium.

Any chance of seeing the reverse, or is that to dangerous, taken in to account that bad caracters are also watching.

KR
Philippe

[Joseph D'Errico]

Hello Peter,

Holy Toledo, rare is an understatment ,

Thank you for posting this one. I always wanted a good pic for my reference files. Stunning example as well. Please post a pic of the reverse.


Just awsome, this is a dream piece.

@ Mark, a simpliflier perspective: propaganda was the purpose for the piece, Herman Goring flew in the WWI and after the war he and many of his commarades were literally spit on by the German people. It was a disgrace of sorts to have served in WWI as far as many German people were concerned. This award was a kind of making up for that honor that was never given. This sort of jeering began as early as Nov. 19th 1918 after a meeting held by Herman Goring with his flying comrades. After the meeting wich took place in the cellar of a beer hall, crowds of German people waiting outside jeered at the former pilots and even tried to strip Goring of his medals.


Best Regards,
JD

[Yuri D.]

Pieter,

You are in possession of some remarkable items.

Yuri

[Neil Howes]

Pieter,

Thanks for showing what a real one looks like.

Regards,

Neil

[Yuri D.]

I have a real one as well, but it's at the opposite end of the spectrum. It's a late-war zinc badge made in 1944.

Yuri

[skip]

Also a first for me!

I have only once seen, what I considered to be, a authentic commemerative badge and that was also in zinc, like Yuris example.

I did´nt even know that they produced these in aluminum. Thanks very much again for showing Pieter.

Skip

[Mike H]

Flieger-Erinnerungsabzeichen

There is quite a good explanation of these badges on page 162 of Brian L. Davis' Luftwaffe book, volume 1. Let me quote from that book:

"Instituted on 26 March 1936, this was awarde to all flying personnel on honourable discharge from aircrew duties. Regular airmen and reserve personnel who had flown during the Great War were required to have served at least four years, while other applicants had to have served for at least fifteen years as airmen. An accident suffered while flying resulting in the airman being invalided out meant that the award could be bestowed for a shorter period of service. It could also be given to the next of kind of an airman killed in a flying accident. Paratroops were classified as aircrew and were thus eligible for this badge. The badge was not, however, issued during the war. The wreath and swastika were in silver-finished metal with the eagle in black or dark grey. War disabled aircrew had the right to wear a miniature of the Aircrew Badge in civilian clothes."

I, too, look forward to seeing some photos of this badge in wear. Obviously, it did exist and was issued. But if you look at the requirements above, perhaps you can see why it is not seen in photos (or at least any I have seen). You see countless photos of older Luftwaffe personnel either wearing the Bavarian or Prussian flyer's commemorative badges --- and even the original qualification badges themselves. Obviously, these men still must have felt a strong tie to their WW1 service and the Imperial regime. Thus, they were more inclined to wear a WW1 badge, or the commemorative, than a Third Reich design. If I was in their place, I would, too. Even then, you had to have had four years of service in the First War to be eligible.

Those who served later had to have fifteen ... which could also account for the dearth of photos of such badges in wear. If you joined the Luftwaffe in 1935, you would have to be around until 1950! And I suspect that those who were invalided out just simply wore their original qualification badges rather than this piece ... and a pilot who had an accident hardly wants to wear a badge which identifies him as having one. That I can tell you for sure being a former military pilot.

But Pieter's badge is really spectacular and I also had no idea these were made in aluminum. But it makes sense.

When at the Show of Shows in Louisville a couple of years ago, Neil Hardin of Wolfe-Hardin showed me one of these badges in what he called the "puff belly" version. Perhaps one of you could shed some light on that.

Incidentally, I have this badge in bullion and I attach it here, though I have run it before on the forum.

Thanks, everyone!

Mike Heuer

[IVAN]

very beautiful piece!!

can we see the reverse?

thanks

Ivan

[Mike H]

Reverse ..

Ivan,

Of course ...

Mike

[IVAN]

Thanks Mike, very interesting and rare one.

@Pieter can you show your reverse too?

thanks

Ivan