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WWII GERMAN LUFTWAFFE PARATROOPER PATCH -
The WWII German paratroopers, known as Fallschirmjäger, were the first to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. They came to be known as the "Green Devils" by the Allied forces they fought against. Kurt Student was the commander of the forces during the entire duration of the war.
In the spring of 1935, Herman Göring transformed the Landespolizei General Göring into Germany's first dedicated airborne regiment, giving it the military designation Regiment General Göring (RGG) on 1 April 1935. The unit was incorporated into the newly-formed Luftwaffe' on October 1st of the same year and training commenced at Altengrabow. Göring also ordered that a group of volunteers be drawn for parachute training. These volunteers would form a core Fallschirmschützen Bataillon, a cadre for future Fallschirmtruppe ("parachute troops").
In January 1936, 600 men and officers formed the 1st Jäger Battalion/RGG, commanded by Bruno Bräuer, and the 15th Engineer Company/RGG and were transferred to training area Döberitz for jump training while the rest of the regiment was sent to Altengrabow. Germany's parachute arm was officially inaugurated on 29 January 1936 with an Order of the Day calling for recruits for parachute training at the Stendal Parachute Training School located 96 km west of Berlin. The school was activated several months after the first parachute units were established in January 1936 and was open to active and reserve Luftwaffe personnel. NCOs, officers and other ranks of the Luftwaffe were required to successfully complete six jumps in order to receive the Luftwaffe
Parachutist's Badge. A cloth version of
the badge could also be obtained.
The item featured here is a German paratrooper patch. As issued during WWII. Of wool construction. The
design of the patch consists of a wreath with a diving eagle over-imposed. The eagle is clutching a
swastika with its talons.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German cloth insignia. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German patch worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the cloth insignia is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
patches and cloth insignia in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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Cloth insignia is currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this uniform. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the uniform.
If you have an interest is seeing other uniforms of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our WWII German Cloth Insignia
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine),
Air Force (Luftwaffe), political, police and other cloth insignia.
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