Luftwaffe Assmann Flight Engineers / Gunners Badge

[ERIC]

Hi Guys,

Here's an interesting Assmann FE/AG I recently acquired and thought that I would share. An all zinc example, yet its wreath was obviously struck from the old aluminum wreath die, hence the "A", D.R.G.M. on the reverse. The badge weighs in at 24.1 grams, and its overall finish, eagle included, has held up remarkably well for a zinker. Just a cool badge, something a little different!

ERIC

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[ERIC]

The Reverse:

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[J Temple-West]

Hi Eric,

An extremely interesting badge you have there. In my mind it is yet another example of creative management by the ?Assmann Company?.

This new badge is instituted (22 June1942) and ?F.W Assmann? goes to work producing a new set of dies. The badge goes into full production and the orders are filled. Then, in 1944 an order is issued for an unqualified version (darkened wreath/silver eagle). Speculating, I can only think that, after two years, the original dies (or at very least, the wreath die) must have come to the end of its production life. Metals, by this time, being unavailable for the production of dies, ?Assmann? uses existing dies originally cut for the earlier aluminium type combined with the existing eagle obverse die to produce both qualified and the new unqualified version.

Having seen both qualified and unqualified badges with the same characteristics (A + DRGM marked) this particular badge would have to fall into the same production time frame as the unqualified version, post April 1944 as all other examples of the pre-?44 type were only marked with the ?A? to the reverse of the eagle or were the ?36 pattern with the bolts removed.

It is my assertion that it is due to the use of these earlier ?A+DRGM? marked dies certain early reference works state that aluminium was used late on in the war. Not so, as we now see that, in fact, these badges were made of zinc.

[ERIC]

Hi JTW,

Very sound and sensible thoughts John - makes perfect sense IMO. When I first saw the badge I thought it was an example with an aluminum wreath, noticing the "A", D.R.G.M. right off. When I inquired with the seller as to the badges weight (to verify if indeed an aluminum example), he stated "around 25 grams". I knew right then and there it definately wasn't aluminum - way too heavy. I then assumed it was a zinker(seller "wasn't sure"), and upon opening the package I found that it was a correct assumption. A neat little Assmann variation!

ERIC