Gold Luftwaffe Bomber Clasp by C.E.Juncker

Product Description: This Gold Luftwaffe Bomber Clasp by C.E. Juncker is a stunning badge. It’s an early piece, struck from a fine brass alloy (Tombak). The obverse of this clasp features absolutely gorgeous original finish, with only very slight wear. The central winged bomb emblem retains great original darkening. The gold finish on the wreath, oak leaves clusters and national swastika emblem is outstanding, with handsome original luster and preserved polished highlights. The brassy color of the base metal is visible on some high points, adding contrast. The bottom right corner of the wreath has a factory manufactured die flaw hairline crack, which is normal for these Juncker made pieces. The reverse of this Gold Luftwaffe Bomber Clasp is flat and unmarked, but the construction leaves no doubt this is a desirable Juncker made piece. The hardware setup as well as the rivet for the central emblem show no sign of repair. The barrel hinge, banjo pin and round wire catch retain the original finish, as well as a light, even patina, perfectly matching the appearance of the reverse of the clasp itself. This textbook, all-original clasp displays extremely well. The condition is excellent plus.

Historical Description: To acknowledge and recognize the achievements of Luftwaffe flight personnel who had taken part in missions against the enemy, the Luftwaffe in 1941 introduced a series of flight clasps, to be worn as awards on the uniform. The German term for this clasp was “Frontflugspange,” literally “Front Flight Clasp”; these are known to collectors as Flight Bars, Operational Flying Clasps or Squadron Clasps. The clasps took the form of a central emblem, set in a wreath of laurel leaves, and flanked on both sides by sprigs of oak leaves. On most designs, the German national swastika emblem was set at the bottom of the laurel wreath. The central emblem varied depending on the type of missions for which the clasp was awarded. An upward-pointed winged arrow was for Short Range Day Fighters, while a downward pointing winged arrow was for Long Range Day Fighters and Air to Ground Support (support crews later had their own crossed swords emblem). Bomber crews had a winged bomb emblem, a Luftwaffe eagle was chosen to represent Transport and Glider Squadrons, and an eagle head was worn by Reconnaissance, Air-Sea Rescue and Meteorological Squadrons. The clasps were produced in various grades to indicate the number of missions flown- Bronze for 20 flights, Silver for 60 flights and Gold for 100 flights. For personnel who surpassed the number of missions required for the Gold clasp, small pendants were produced, starting in 1942, to recognize the greater and greater numbers of missions being flown. There was a “star” pendant, that was given for certain numbers of flights beyond 100 missions (depending on the type of clasp, between 250 and 500 missions were required to earn the star). There were also numbered pendants, beginning with 200 missions, and increasing in increments of 100. As with all Third Reich military awards, Luftwaffe flight clasps are highly sought-after collectibles today.

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