Cased B&NL Luftwaffe Pilot Badge

Product Description: This cased B&NL Luftwaffe Pilot Badge is an extremely desirable, top quality example. Both of the major components of the badge- the eagle and the wreath- are struck from nickel silver, with exquisite detail. The wreath retains nearly all of its thick silver finish on the front and back, and the eagle and swastika retain most of their original burnishing, with slight wear to high points and edges on the obverse that reveals the mellow shine of the nickel silver base metal. The reverse of the badge is nicely maker marked, with the initials “B&NL” indicating manufacture by the firm of Berg & Nolte in Lüdenscheid. The hardware and rivets on this badge are textbook, intact, and untouched, with a barrel hinge, and a round wire pin and catch. This choice badge is complete with its original case of issue. The case features a beautiful mid war blue lining, with the badge resting on a flocked insert. The wording “Luftwaffen-Flugführer-Abzeichen” is printed on the dark blue cloth-covered exterior. The case shows some age, with a few scuffs and wear to the exterior, and a bit of white residue on the flocked insert, but remains complete and sound, with intact, functional hardware. Overall, this cased B&NL Luftwaffe Pilot Badge rates as excellent condition.

Historical Description: The Luftwaffe Pilot Badge was instituted by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring on August 12, 1935. It was among the earliest badges introduced in the German Wehrmacht and was worn by all qualified pilots in the German Air Force, similar to the “wings” worn by some other armies. The design of the badge featured a large, swooping eagle clutching the German national swastika emblem, surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurel leaves. The badge was normally presented in a blue hinged case. It was worn on the upper left uniform pocket, and 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 changes in the features of the designs. Some companies, like Juncker, Assmann, and Deumer, had early first pattern badges which looked completely different from later pieces by the same manufacturers. 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 of these changes over time open up a large spectrum of variation collecting for Luftwaffe badge collectors.

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