Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Navigation Corps

[Paul R]

Luftwaffe Corps of Navigation:

The Luftwaffe Corps of Navigation was established sometime in the late 1938 to early 1939 time period. The actual order has not been found. Like the Engineers, the Navigators held the status of non soldiers(Officials).

As of February 1939, the members of the Luftwaffe Corps of Navigation were ordered to wear the Luftwaffe uniform with their designating insignia which were:

1. Tabs- The tabs were very similar to those of the Corps of Engineers. The wreath/propeller were used to specify rank. The waffenfarbe, was dark green(same as the Admin Officials). These officials were all of the elevated career(silver piping)

2. Shoulder boards- The boards were multi layered like those of the Administrative Officials. The bottom layer designated the branch color(Dark Green). The upper nebenfarbe was bright yellow until 08October1941 where the boards were changed. The branch color then became pink with a light blue nebenfarbe.

29November1941, The Navigation Corps was disbanded. Most of the officers were transferred into the Luftwaffe proper as line officers in the Flight Branch.

Now, what did these men do exactly? Did they make maps or figure lay out flight plans based upon missions, intell, and weather?

Those who did not meet the qualifications and conditions for transfer to the Luftwaffe, or did not consent to a status as a Luftwaffe Officer were transferred to the Corps of Engineers as navigation personnel.

There were the following three paygrades:

Fl. OberNautiker- Oberleutant

Fl. HauptNautiker- Hauptmann

Fl. StabsNautiker- Major

Here are what the tabs look like...

Obernautiker(Oberleutnant)

Hauptnautiker(Hauptmann)

I am always looking for an example for a StabsNautiker!

[Paul R]

Lets see what you have... be it information, photos, documents, insignia, uniforms, or instruments. Anything goes, as long as it relates the the topic!

What did these men do, exactly? Did they make maps or lay out flight plans for upcoming missions using intell and weather? What were the requirements to become a Nautiker(Navigator)?

[luftguy]

An unknown Fl. OberNautiker

[Paul R]

I simply LOVE that photo!! The only one I have ever seen! Am I missing something, or are his shoulder straps missing a pip?

Paul

[luftguy]

WOW! I paid so much attention to the tabs that I did not notice that.

Bill

[Paul R]

WOW! I paid so much attention to the tabs that I did not notice that.

Bill

I would think that this would be a huge oversight, unless it fell off without him knowing about it.

[Garth Thompson]

Corps of Navigator insignia is very scarce . Here is my humble offering.

Garth

[Paul R]

Thank you Garth, so much for sharing your fantastic collection. IMHO, they are the highlight of the forum! You have some of the finest pieces I could only dream about seeing again!!

That is a stunning board. It is only the second I have ever seen!

[luftguy]

Here is a set I Nautiker boards I found.

[luftguy]

[Paul R]

Very Very nice indeed. I should have a matching set too, soon! However, I thought that the golden colored nebenfarbe was more consistent with the early Meteorologist career...

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=174473

Either way, a very rare set of insignia!

[Paul R]

Hi Bill,

Those you posted ARE for the early meteorological specialty, before the blue-gray nebenfarbe was adopted. They are still very rare!!

Here is my newest...

A single for an Obernautiker!

[luftguy]

Wow! 10 months since any new stuff on this thread.

This arrived today. Notice the date The promotion occurred over one year after the navigation corps were disbanded! This is part of a small group consisting of this document and the certificate of citizenship for him and his wife.

Edited April 17, 2009 by luftguy

[Paul R]

This stuff is THAT rare!! That is one great certificate. If you ask me, the pinnacle of advancment certificates.

[luftguy]

... However, I thought that the golden colored nebenfarbe was more consistent with the early Meteorologist career...

Either way, a very rare set of insignia!

Well it took me almost 2 years to find what I remember seeing. This is from page 94 of the Brian Davis book, "Uniforms and Insignia of the Luftwaffe, Vol.1"

"The Navigator Corps

Officers were originally distinguished from personnel of the other branches of the Luftwaffe by the use of gold-yellow combined with dark green as their arm-of-service colour. Thes Colours were displayed by means of dark green collar patches and shoulder-straps with a secondary colour of gold-yellow on the underlay of green.

Early in 1940 a colour change took place when gold-yellow as the Corps secondary colour was replaced by lemon-yellow."

So this means the pair I have is Navigator Corps.

Bill

Edited October 30, 2009 by luftguy

[hirevr13]

Order LV40 No.569 10 May, 1940 change secondary color from golden yellow to lemon yellow. Branch color dark green.

Order LV41 No. 1562 8 Oct, 1941 change branch color to pink and secondary color to light blue.

[luftguy]

Order LV40 No.569 10 May, 1940 change secondary color from golden yellow to lemon yellow. Branch color dark green.

Order LV41 No. 1562 8 Oct, 1941 change branch color to pink and secondary color to light blue.

Similar to these?

This blue is lighter than my other Ingenieur reserves.

Bill

[Paul R]

Bill, those boards are amazing! Where did you find them?

I did not see the part about the Golden Yellow nebenfarbe being used for the Nautikers. I will have to find my books again!

[luftguy]

Bill, those boards are amazing! Where did you find them?

I did not see the part about the Golden Yellow nebenfarbe being used for the Nautikers. I will have to find my books again!

Paul,

I got them with a pair of Oberingenieur tabs, which led me to believe they were an Oberingenieur d.R. set, but in my opinion, the blue was not quite right for reserves. After reexamining the change order, I now believe the set to an Obernautiker set from after Order LV41 No. 1562 8 Oct, 1941, which also mentions the collar tabs changed from props on dark green to the ingenieur type of props on pink.

Do you agree?

Bill

[hirevr13]

Yes, when they did away with these cats they went into other branches or if qualified could be a "pinkie"engineer.

I think we have a new contender for rarest Luftwaffe uniform. Nautiker with those killer boards. I wonder how many guys would have seen that set and not kept them together?

[hirevr13]

Yes, when they did away with these cats they went into other branches or if qualified could be a "pinkie"engineer.

I think we have a new contender for rarest Luftwaffe uniform. Nautiker with those killer boards. I wonder how many guys would have seen that set and not kept them together?

[Paul R]

I think that a Navigator uniform in any insignia configuration would be a one of a kind item!