Luftwaffe Airgunners Badge with Black Wreath

Air Gunner's/Flight Engineer;s Badge (Fliegerschützenabzeichen für Bordfunker u. Bordmechaniker)

The Air Gunner’s/Flight Engineer’s qualification badge was introduced by order of Hermann Göring on June 1942 for award to air gunners, flight engineers, and flight meteorologists who had met the required criteria.

The Air Gunner’s/Flight Engineer’s qualification badge followed the same pattern of the earlier introduced, (March 26th 1936), Wireless Operators/Air Gunners badge with the exclusion of the lightning bolts.

After the introduction of the Air Gunner’s/Flight Engineer’s badge the Wireless Operator’s/Air Gunner’s badge was re-designated Bordfunkerabzeichen, (Wireless Operator’s Badge), and was bestowed exclusively to Wireless Operators.

On April 25th 1944 another version of the Air Gunner’s/Flight Engineer’s qualification badge was introduced for award to flight engineers, and flight meteorologists who were not qualified as air gunner’s. Fliegerschutzenabzeichen ohne Blitzbundel mit schwarzem Kranz (Airman protect badge without lightning bolts with black wreath)

It followed the same pattern as the earlier Air Gunner’s/Flight Engineer’s badge but in reverse colors with a dark wreath and a bright eagle.

Two piece, die struck zinc construction badge.
The badge is in the form of a nicely convexed, vertically oval, wreath with laurel leaves to the left side and oak-leaves to the right side and a canted swastika superimposed to the bottom center.
Mounted on the wreath is a dark burnished silver finished, highly vaunted, stylized eagle in flight.
The eagle is secured to the wreath by two rivets which are visible on the reverse.
The eagles wing tips extend just beyond the outer edge of the wreath. The reverse of the wreath has a solid hinge, a thin round vertical pin and catch all intact.
The reverse no maker marks.

Awarded: 1944/45
Material: Zinc, non-ferrous metal
Size: 41,45x53,72mm
Weight: about 30,89g
Box size: 79x68x23mm