J1 Pilot Observer Badge

Product Description: This J1 Pilot Observer Badge is a wonderful, beautifully worn and rare piece. This is an early piece made by Juncker in Berlin, a desirable maker. It’s made of a brass alloy (Tombak), a fine material associated with these top-quality early awards. This is a piece that was obviously worn on a pilot’s uniform. The wreath shows beautiful gilding in the recesses of the design, and the eagle retains a decent amount of silvering, with wear to the high points. The visual appeal of the obverse of this badge is outstanding. The reverse of this badge is nicely maker marked on the back of the eagle. The hardware is textbook for Juncker, with a barrel hinge and round wire pin and catch. The catch has an old solder repair that we regard as wartime done. The typical Juncker rivets remain nice and tight. The pin functions with no issues. This J1 Pilot Observer Badge is a gorgeous example of a tough to find award. The condition rates as excellent.

Historical Description: The Luftwaffe Combined Pilot Observer Badge was instituted by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring on January 19, 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, silver swooping eagle clutching the German national swastika emblem, surrounded by a golden 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 Observer badges were made of aluminum, nickel silver, plated Tombak, and later on in 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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