Description
Product Description: A stunning Juncker Heer Paratrooper Badge with nearly all the finish still intact. This Juncker Heer Paratrooper Badge is one of the best 1943 produced Heer paratrooper badges I have encountered from Juncker in quite a while. The badge is produced of two separate pieces of die stamped zinc. The eagle retains nearly all of its original thick silver plating with only slight patina that has formed on the outer edges, due to the high quality silver plating it received. The wreath also retains most of the distinct gold finish found on Juncker produced badges. The Reichsadler at the top of the wreath has the correct “beard” under the eagle’s beak, which is exactly the same as the earlier aluminum 2nd pattern examples. The badge is held firmly together by two textbook Juncker rivets, each with the distinct Juncker look, on the reverse. The hardware consists of the typical short barrel hinge, but also with the least commonly seen round wire “C” catch soldered to a round base plate. The hardware is completely untouched and without repairs. This Juncker Heer Paratrooper Badge is unmarked, but is very well known to be Juncker production. This is a perfect example of exceptional quality in a sea of average. Very tough to upgrade.
Historical Description: Prior to September 1937, German Army personnel who had successfully qualified as paratroopers had been awarded the Luftwaffe version of this badge. The German Heer wanted a distinctive badge to recognize the achievement of its own paratroopers. On September 1, 1937, the Heer Paratrooper Badge was officially instituted. The Heer version was similar in design to that of the Luftwaffe badge; however the new Heer version would utilize a Heer Reichsadler at the top of the wreath and remove the large swastika clutched in the diving eagles talons. At the end of successful training, the badge was awarded. Due to the small numbers of Heer Paratroopers to qualify, these early badges are scarce. At the time of the badge’s first issue in 1937, just over 170 men were decorated with the award. The earliest Heer paratrooper badges were made of die struck aluminum, with a gold anodized wreath and silver anodized eagle. They were produced exclusively by C.E. Juncker in Berlin. A second aluminum version was also produced, using a slightly different die that added reinforcement to the fragile eagle talons and head of the eagle at the top of the wreath. A silver version, also produced by Juncker, could be privately purchased. The silver version was stamped .800 for silver content, and many had a custom engraving on the reverse that included the recipient’s name. In 1939, the Luftwaffe absorbed all Heer Paratroopers, and the badge was discontinued. In April 1943, a new German Army parachutist unit was organized, and on June 1, 1943, the Heer Paratrooper Badge was reinstated. The 1943 pattern badges were also manufactured by C. E. Juncker, using the same dies used for previous production, but like most wartime badges, these were now made from zinc. A second manufacturer, Friedrich Linden (FLL) also produced the badge in 1943. Because of the very small total number of German Army Paratroopers who became eligible for this badge from 1937-1945, it was produced in very limited numbers and is today considered a scarce award.
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