Original German WWII Luftwaffe Pilot’s Badge by Brüder Schneider Wien – Flugzeugführerabzeichen Original Items

Original Items: Only One Available. This is an lovely condition Luftwaffe Pilot’s Badge, with the standard two-piece zinc construction. The “swooping eagle” is held on by the usual two rivets, and has a “blacked” finish. It has a non-magnetic vertical pin on the back, with a barrel hinge and bent wire catch. Condition is very good, with much of the original silvering retained on the wreath, though it has tarnished to a brown patina in many areas. The eagle has some wear around the edges, but otherwise is in really great shape, one of the best that we have seen.

The back of the eagle is marked with a BSW mark in a clover, the trademark for Brüder Schneider A.G. of Wien (Vienna), a known WWII era maker of Luftwaffe badges, particularly the pilot’s badge. The wreath and eagle are the correct more “delicate” style used by this maker based in Vienna.

A good chance to pick up a great example of a classic Luftwaffe badge by a well-known maker!

The Luftwaffe Aviator / Pilot Badge (Flugzeugführerabzeichen or Pilotenabzeichen) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to Luftwaffe service personnel who completed flight training, receiving their flying license and citation. It was instituted on 26 March 1936 by the Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe Hermann Göring. It came in distinct types; nickel silver (changed to zinc during the war) and a variant made of gold. It depicts a silver eagle (Silberner Adler) perched atop a swas (hook cross), wings open in a landing pose, and surrounded by a wreath with laurel (Lorbeer) on the right side and oak leaf (Eichenlaub) branches on the left side, respectively. It was worn on the lower part of the left breast pocket of the service tunic, underneath the Iron Cross 1st Class if awarded.

The design is two part, with the eagle attached to the wreath by two rivets. The badge can be distinguished from the very similar Pilot/Observer Badge by the wreath; the Pilot’s Badge has a silver wreath, while the Pilot/Observer badge has a gold wreath.