Luftwaffe decoration to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

[Mian_Tang]

Greetings to all,I just found this picture while was doing search on internet,showed Field Marshal Erwin Rommel wearing a pilot badge(or Pilot-Observer Badge),could anybody tell me when was the badge awarded to him?How did he qualify for this award?Thank you very much.

[johnrtse]

If I am not mistaken, There were many of these "honorary" awards w/diamonds presented to famous and high-ranking personalities, by Goering. I believe Sepp Dietrich, Himmler, and several others were also "awarded" these.

[PaulR]

If I am not mistaken, There were many of these "honorary" awards w/diamonds presented to famous and high-ranking personalities, by Goering. I believe Sepp Dietrich, Himmler, and several others were also "awarded" these.

I thought that he was a qualified pilot. Wasn't he qualified to fly a recon plane?

Best regards
Paul Reck

[Mike H]

On the site ...

Somewhere on this site, you can find a list of the recipients of the Pilot/Observer with Diamonds. Honorary awards of this badge were made to a number of people who were not qualified pilots -- Mannerheim of Finland, Doenitz, Himmler, and so on. The award was created by Goering in 1935.

You will also frequently see photos of Benito Mussolini wearing his as well. Mussolini, however, was a qualified pilot.

Mike Heuer

[rexmundi]

Honorary awards of this badge were made to a number of people who were not qualified pilots -- Mannerheim of Finland, Doenitz, Himmler, and so on. Rommel was in this category,

No, Rommel was a pilot. He always flew his on recon plane.