WWII German Luftwaffe Pilot Badge - The Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956. Two other historic German air forces are the World War I-era Luftstreitkräfte and the Luftstreitkräfte der NVA in the GDR.

On 26 February 1935, Adolf Hitler ordered Hermann Göring to establish the Luftwaffe, breaking the Treaty of Versailles's ban on German military aviation. Germany violated the treaty without sanction from Britain and France or the League of Nations, and neither they nor the league did anything to oppose this. Although the new air force was to be run totally separately from the army, it retained the tradition of according army ranks for its officers and airmen, a tradition retained today by united Germany's Luftwaffe and by many air forces throughout the world. It is worth noting, however, that before the official promulgation of Göring's new Luftwaffe in 1935, Germany had a paramilitary air force known as the Deutscher Luftsportverband (DLV: German air sports union). The DLV was headed by Ernst Udet and its insignia were taken over by the new Luftwaffe, although the DLV "ranks" had special names that made them sound more civilian than military.

Luftwaffe pilot Ace.

The pilot's badge was instituted on August 12, 1935 by order of Hermann Goring. the basic design of the badge consisted of an eagle clutching a swastika. A wreath surrounds the eagle. It is interesting to note that half of the wreath (left side) is composed of laurel leaves while the other half (right side) consists of oak leaves. The German WWII pilot badge was awarded to soldiers attached to the roster of "flying personnel" after they earned their pilot's license. Personnel who served in the reserves as "standby" pilots also were subject to the same rules. Individuals who were awarded this badge included Administrative Officials and Luftwaffe Engineering Corps personnel. There were two basic types of pilot badge. One was made of metal the other was manufactured of cloth. The cloth badge was identical in design as the metal badge. Embroired releaf where the wreath is silver, the eagle is oxydized silver and the swastika was a dull aluminum color. The earlier versions of the badge had a nickel-silver content of 12%. After 1937 the material employed in the construction was aluminum.

The eagle is attached to the wreath by use of two rivets. A vertical pin is provided to attach the badge to the uniform.

The pilot's badge was constructed of various materials. Some of them include: Aluminum, zinc, nickel-silver, plated alloy and tombak. The time period of production will affect the type of material employed. Earlier badges were traditionally made of nickel, aluminum and tomback. Later war pieces were manufactured of alloy and zinc.

The badge was worn on the left side of the jacket. In the event that the recipient was also awarded the Iron Cross First class, the pilot badge was placed right under the Iron Cross in a centered fashion.

The qualifications for earning the Luftwaffe Pilot badge includes.

The pilot badges were often marked with the manufacturer's logo. The sample shown here has been stamped with a clover shape with the letters "BSW". It is important to note that not all the badges had manufacturing marks. It is possible to have an authentic WWII German Pilot badge without any markings on it.

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A closer look at the badge reveals great detail work to the wings. The German combat badges are well known for being manufactured to great quality standards.

Notice that the construction of the hinge is of "barrel" type. the pin itself is a heavy wire type. The catch is made of a similar material and is attached directly to the wreath. The soldering job to attach the hinge and the catch is of very good quality. Some of the cheaper badges have the hinge attached to a plate, which is then soldered to the badge itself.

This picture shows a close up look at the German WWII Pilot badge pin catch. This is how the pin was secured shut.

The physical properties of a badge are a very important aspect to consider when determining the authenticity of a badge. The information provided here covers the badge shown on this page. It is important to note that there are variations among manufacturers.

LUFTWAFFE PILOT BADGE EXAMPLES
The following are examples of different types of pilot badges produced during WWII.

WWII GERMAN LUFTWAFFE PILOT BADGE - This is a late war example manufactured by the C.E.Jubcker company. Two piece construction. Eagle manufacturer stamped in back.

This award 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 badge. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.