Luftwaffe Marseille - Pilot/Observersbadge?

[FZ1]

Hi,

Hopefully this is a fairly easy question for the esteemed member of this forum!

Did Hans-Joachim Marseille wear the Pilots badge or the combined Pilot / Observers badge?

I know he was awarded the combined badge with diamonds, but did he actually qualify as an observer with the right to wear the combined badge?

Many thanks,

Jon

[J Temple-West]

An interesting question, Jon

Having read a couple of biographies on Hans-Joachim Marseille, the observer badge is never mentioned.

Of course, completion of the course for observer was not a prerequisite for the ?Combined Pilot/Observer Badge in Gold with Diamonds?. If it were, very few of the actual recipients would have been eligible.

Awards:

1 February 1940 - Flugzeugf?hrerabzeichen (Pilots Badge)

9 September 1940 - Iron Cross Second Class for two air victories.

17 September 1940 - Iron Cross First Class for fourth air victory.

3 November 1941 ? Luftwaffe Goblet of Honour (Ehrenpokal f?r Besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg)

24 November 1941 - German Cross in Gold

22 February 1942 - Knight's Cross for reaching 46 kills.

6 June 1942 - Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross for 75 kills.

18 June 1942 - Swords to the Knight's cross with Oak Leaves for 100 kills (presented by Hitler on 28 June 1942 in the F?hrerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg).

August 1942 -Awarded Golden Pilot's Cross with Diamonds (presented by Reichsmarshall Hermann G?ring).

6 August 1942 - Awarded highest Italian decoration for bravery, the Medaglia d'Oro, (presented by Benito Mussolini in Rome on 13 August).

2 September 1942 - Becomes only the fourth German serviceman to be awarded the Diamonds to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

The Diamonds were to be made in a special, by Adolf Hitler defined, fashion. Hitler had decided to present them to Marseille personally some time later in the year. However, Marseille's death prevented this. It is unclear why the Diamonds were never handed out to Marseille's family after his demise, as foreseen by Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573 Article 7 (German Law of 1939 enacting the Knight's Cross).

7 June 1943 - Africa Cuff title (posthumously)