1942 Air Luftwaffe Gunner/Flight Engineer Badge by Deumer
Price: Sold
Description: Two piece, die struck alloy construction badge. The badge is in the form of a nicely convexed, vertically oval, wreath with laurel leaves to the left side and oak-leaves to the right side and a canted swastika superimposed to the bottom center. Mounted on the wreath is a dark burnished silver finished, highly vaunted, stylized eagle in flight. The eagle is secured to the wreath by two rivets which are visible on the reverse. The eagle’s wing tips extend just beyond the outer edge of the wreath. The badge shows nice quality detailing including a cut-out to the top arm of the swastika, intricate feathering to the wings and high relief details to the wreath. The reverse of the wreath has its later version hinge, a thin round vertical pin and catch all intact. The reverse of the eagle is well marked with the stamped, manufacturer’s name and location, “W. Deumer Lüdenscheid”
Price: $525
Background: The Air Gunner’s/Flight Engineer’s qualification badge was introduced by order of Hermann Göring on June 1942 for award to air gunners, flight engineers, and flight meteorologists who had met the required criteria. The Air Gunner’s/Flight Engineer’s badge was awarded on an individual basis to qualified personnel and as with other flier’s specialty badges a cloth version of the badge was authorized for wear on the flight blouse. The Air Gunner’s/Flight Engineer’s qualification badge followed the same pattern of the earlier introduced, (March 1936), Wireless Operators/Air Gunners badge with the exclusion of the lightning bolts.
