The Luftwaffe Pilot Badge
The Pilot's Badge was an activity badge of the German Air Force. It was established on March 14, 1935, by the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring.
Design of the pilot badge
A tall oval badge made of non-ferrous metal or zinc, or in rare cases, aluminum. The wreath is formed of oak leaves and laurel, each half of the wreath. The wreath is tied at the bottom. On top is a detailed eagle with spread wings. The wings extend beyond the wreath on both sides. A swastika is in its claws.
The eagle is riveted onto the wreath. The wreath is silver-plated, the eagle blackened, in exceptional cases silver-plated. The reverse is sometimes inscribed with the manufacturer's name. Often, it is CE Juncker Berlin, GWL for Gebrüder Wegerhoff, Lüdenscheid, B&NL for Berg & Nolte, Lüdenscheid, or W. Deumer, Lüdenscheid.
Requirements for the award of the pilot's badge
The badge was awarded upon successful completion of one of the Air Force's pilot training schools. It was awarded to pilots as a training certificate and is therefore not a combat badge, but a purely functional badge.
It could also be awarded to individuals who had been trained as pilots before the Pilot's Badge was established, provided they were still serving in the Air Force. After the Anschluss of Austria and the integration of the Austrian Air Force into the Wehrmacht, the same also applied to Austrian pilots who had been transferred to the Air Force.
Award numbers of the Pilot Badge
Unfortunately, the exact figures are unknown. However, it is estimated that approximately 50.000 awards were made by 1945.
How to wear the pilot's badge
The pilot's badge was worn as a pin-on badge on the right breast. If the wearer had also been awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class, the pilot's badge had to be worn below the Iron Cross.
The certificate for the pilot's badge
A certificate of award, signed by the unit commander and bearing the unit's official seal, was issued. The award was also recorded in the recipient's pay book and military service record . This allowed the soldier to prove his eligibility to wear the badge during a potential inspection.
Buy and sell pilot badges: Value
Due to the sheer number of different variants, a value can only be determined individually. Individual badges can be worth between €250 and €1.500, depending on the design. Large estates, including certificates, photos, etc., can sometimes be worth well over €5.000. However, certificates, cases, and photos of wearers are also of interest to collectors.
