Original German WWII Luftwaffe Paratrooper Fallschirmjäger Badge – Parachutist Badge Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fine quality manufactured example of a Paratrooper Fallschrimjäger badge, with a lovely patinated finish overall. We do not know if the silvering has simply tarnished, or worn off. The basic design is a half Oak Leaf and half Laurel Leaf wreath, with a “Diving Eagle” clutching a Swas (hook cross) in the middle. The eagle is attached to the wreath with two pins, which are peened over to keep the eagle in place. It features a needle style vertical pinback with a narrow barrel hinge, with an intact bent flat metal pin catch. The wreath looks to be zinc alloy, while the central eagle may be tombak or possibly aluminum.

There is no maker marking on this example, but that is not uncommon, and many of the major makers made marked as well as unmarked examples as the war progressed. The style used to attach the eagle to the wreath, as well as the hinge and pin catch style, suggest the makers C.E. Juncker or FLL (Friedrich Linden). More in depth research may be able to conclusively pinpoint the maker, however with each maker making various different styles of eagles and wreathes during the war, identification can be difficult.

Really a very nice example which would make a very nice addition to any collection!

The Parachutist Badge (Fallschirmschützenabzeichen) was a badge awarded to qualified parachutists of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS of NSDAP Germany. The badge was first established by order of Hermann Göring on 5 November 1936. It was originally awarded to Luftwaffe personnel after completion of the required number of six jumps. After this they were eligible to become a Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper).

The badge depicted a diving eagle with a swas in its claws surrounded by a silver wreath. The original construction was made of “gold-finished bronze” for the eagle and “oxidized silver plate” for the laurel leaves. In 1937, the construction of the badge changed to aluminium. In late 1942, the construction was changed again to a metal alloy. A cloth version of the badge was also authorized in 1937, to be worn on a flight jacket. A recipient had to re-qualify for the badge each year.

An army version (Fallschirmschützen-Abzeichen des Heeres) was later introduced (1 September 1937), with the swas relocated to the top of the wreath and surmounted by a smaller upright eagle. As with the Luftwaffe, a recipient had to re-qualify for the badge each year. In 1936, the army ordered the institution of its own parachute company, which was expanded to a battalion in 1938. When the army parachute units were transferred over to the Luftwaffe in 1939, the former army soldiers continued to wear the army version of the Parachutist badge. The Waffen-SS personnel of the 500, 501 or 502 SS-Parachute Battalions were awarded the Luftwaffe badge after they passed the jump and other test requirements

The term Fallschirmjäger, often written Fallschirmjaeger in English, is from the German Fallschirm “parachute” and Jäger, the light elite infantry of the Prussian army. This term was then applied to all German paratroopers. Fallschirmjäger of Germany in World War II, were the first to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. They came to be known as the “Green Devils” by the Allied forces they fought against and were some of the best trained most lethal troops of the German war machine.