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    Turkish Pilots Badge variations


    Luftmensch

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    Tim,

    Thank you very much. I bought it as original but not at any fantastic price ( I can't remember but it wasn't really high) and had always wondered. I agree that it is not officer grade and probably an issue one due to it being made from such thin brass. I have had it about 7-8 years and if they had been faking them, I would think some would have come to light by now.

    Dan Murphy

    Edited by Daniel Murphy
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    • 5 weeks later...

    I suppose that this is a civilian pilot's badge? Notice that the "TC" on the cartouche of the badge is the same as that at the top of the document and the picture of the badge on the document. No military motifs on the document either. Very interesting.

    Chip

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    This thread has produced a lot of fascinating stuff for me, especially as I never spent much time studying Turkish Republic badges. This is clearly modeled after a WW1 pilot's badge, and the inscription at the top of the badge where the tughra would have been says "TC (Turkish Republic) - In memory of 10 years".

    Taken by itself, I would have thought the badge was simply a one-off, but the document tells a much bigger story. The document is a graduation diploma from the Eskişehir aviation school. What they have done in this case is scratch out the usual wording and written in that this is a special award in recognition of 10 years' service, to a "Tecnik?i" or technician, who probably was an employee of the aviation school. That confirms that the badge is probably one of a kind.

    But that's not all! The badge depicted on the diploma is - one would presume - something that was awarded to graduates of the aviation school. Obviously it is also modeled after the Ottoman pilot's badge, but with the foundation date of the empire removed, and the "TC" or Turkish Republic cypher added at the top. This confirms that such badges were used by the Republic after 1928.

    So the badge that Steve French sent me photos of (which I posted on this thread back in January) probably was a transitional Turkish Republic pilot badge dating from some time between the establishment of the Republic in 1923 and the change to Latin writing at the end of 1928.

    Tim

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    • 8 months later...

    Here is the exact translation :

    Pilotluk derecesi/piloting degree: -

    Rasitlik derecesi/aviation degree:-

    Teknik derecesi/ytechnical degree: 1

    Diplom No: 1270

    A Diplom to a flyer graduated from school of Aviation

    Name: Kof

    This diplom is presented for the 10th Anniversary of Turkish Republic.

    Issued in Eskisehir.

    Nota: This is not a military diplom. A tecnicer diplom of Turkish Aviation Assosiation widely known as Turk Kusu. (Turkish Bird)

    Photo of Turkish war pilot of Gallipol, Lt. Cemal Durusoy 1914

    2nd image: Lt. Ali Riza Bey War pilot of gallipoliOn 20th November 1915 Lt. Ali Riza and 2nd Lt. Ibrahim Orhan (flying an Albatros C1) shot down a French plane over Kabatepe during the battles of Gallipoli. This is the first time in history that a plane is shot down by another plane. Let me give you some information about Ibrahim Orhan Bey.

    Galatasaray is familiar to all with the football club rather than the Lycee/Highschool in Istanbul. Galatasaray Football Team won the European Championship 3 years ago. On the other hand during the WW1 many students or graduants of the Lyceum didn't hesitate to join the army as reserve officers. Many of them killed in various fronts.

    Ibrahim Orhan Bey graduated in 1912. He was the grandchild of Sadullah Pasha and son of Dr. Sadik Bey. He volunterede to Turkish Air Force and became a war pilot. During the flights over Gelibolu he was wounded 2 times. In 1916 his plane crusted to sea near the island Semadirek. He is the first Turkish airman who killed in action. May Allah keep him in his paradise. Allah rahmet eylesin! Dilerim ki oyle olsun!

    Please note that there is no history without Turks.

    Edited by Tosun Saral
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    • 2 weeks later...

    Tim, doesn't the Steve French badge have the same maker mark as the badge posted by Gor?

    Very observant! Yes, it does appear that the little "E" (or whatever it is) is a maker's mark, and both of these transitional post-WW1 badges have the same maker! Cool!

    Tim

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    • 3 years later...
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    I want to post this vary nice picture of an unknown ottoman officer with pilot badge. This picture was taken in germany at the RFA 501 (giant plane unit).

    Regards

    Alex

    Edited by jaba1914
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    This nice german made ottoman pilot badge comes from the estate of an known german pilot who served in the ottoman air service during the war. I love this badge, one of few I ever seen.

    55981d1d5ce32_trk._FA_(vs).thumb.jpg.1da55981d250969f_trk._FA_(rs).thumb.jpg.8ae

    Regards

    Alex

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    Great looking badge!

    Is that the same type of badge as shown on the photo in your post from August 3, 2013?  (I am not implying that this is his badge, but it looks like the same manufacturing style.)

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