Description
1Product Description: A very nice GWL Pilot Observer Badge. This GWL Pilot Observer Badge is in overall nice condition, with light wear and finish loss to both the eagle and the wreath. Produced in tombak, with fire gilded wreath finish, and a silver electroplated eagle. Maker marked on the reverse for GWL with their logo, and the eagle is affixed with textbook style hollow rivets typical for the producer GWL. Reverse hardware is produced with a block style hinge with a needle pin set up. Flatwire style catch hook. Overall a nice GWL Pilot Observer Badge in fantastic condition.
Historical Description: The Luftwaffe Pilot Observer Badge was instituted by head of the Luftwaffe Hermann Göring on January 19, 1935 to replace the earlier Pilot Observer Badge known to most collectors as the “Air Crew” badge. It was among the earliest qualification badges introduced in the German Wehrmacht and was worn by all qualified pilots in the German Luftwaffe. The design of the badge featured a large, swooping silvered eagle clutching a large German national swastika emblem, surrounded by a wreath of golden oak and laurel leaves. The badge was normally presented in a blue hinged case, but later in the war was issued in paper packets and boxes. It was worn on the upper left uniform pocket. A cloth version was also authorized for field use. In the nearly ten years from the introduction of this badge to the end of WWII, the manufacturers of these awards made many subtle changes to the features of the designs. Some companies, like Juncker, Assmann, and Deumer, had early first pattern badges which looked completely different from their later produced pieces. Pilot badges were made of aluminum, nickel silver, plated Tombak, and zinc. The eagle was always a separate piece, riveted to the wreath, with different manufacturers using different rivet designs. As the war progressed, and dies wore out, many makers produced badges with subtle changes. All these changes, over time, opened up a large spectrum of variation collecting for Luftwaffe badge collectors. Early variations of this badge can appear much like that of jewelry. The quality and craftsmanship for these military awards can arguably be the finest produced by any military in history. This is part of the allure for many collectors.
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