Luft GWL Flak

[mmiller]

To All,

Can anyone please post some additional badges of the same for comparison? I like the maker mark on the badge I have posted, as the 'L' has the, er, uh, little, uh, 'head' on the tip.



Regards,
Mark

[Pascal H.]

Hi Mark,
Lorenzo has one of these on his site.

KR
Pascal

[Lorenzo Brown]

Hi Mark. Here are some pics of mine to compare. Looks good to me .

[Tom Yanacek]

Hello Mark,

The badge you posted looks good to me. Here are some pictures of a 'GWL' Flak Badge from my collection. I have owned this particular piece for about 20 years. Mine has what looks to be some epoxy at the eagle/wreath connection. It was like this when I bought the badge. The eagle was probably loose and someone decided to lock it down with epoxy.
Best regards! Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

reverse

[Tom Yanacek]

pin, hinge, & catch

[Tom Yanacek]

maker mark

[mmiller]

Thanks, Lorenzo! Looks like ours were banged out at about the same time. Check out the hallmark flaw at about 930 o'clock, in the circle. [About two and a half hours later than the flaw in GWLs Pilot series.]

Thank, Tom!

Have a decadent weekend!
Mark

[Lorenzo Brown]

Hi Mark. Yes I have noticed, and I have always thought that the marks appearing on the later zinc GWL Flak AND Ground Combat badges were from REPAIRS to the stamp used on the earlier tombak Luft badges.

See below the "break" appearing on the tombak pilot badge.
Then see how the "break" seems to have been repaired/re-worked on the Flak and GCB.




Tombak Pilot badge mark


Zinc GCB mark.


Zinc Flak

[mmiller]

Lorenzo,

Agree. It's like excessive use caused [on the left side of the circle] the stamp to deteriorate. As you mention, this happened first on the Pilot's badges, and at the 7 o'clock position.

Then they repaired it, 'built it up' again on the punch. The repair was temporary. After more repeated punching, the stamp surface weakened again but at the 930 spot. The stamp surface slowly started to collapse & flatten, causing the deteriorated pattern. If that makes any sense!

It works for me!

MM