Erinnerungsabzeichen für Heeres-Lufschiffe qualifications

[Claudius]

Hello;

When the badge was finally issued in 1920 it is generally recognized that an airman would qualify for the Zeppelin Badge if he serviced on board a Zeppelin during WWI.

But does anyone know what actually qualifies the airman to receive one. Is it after completing training, or after and one flight over contested ground/water? Two flights?

Don Chalif's book only mentions:

"Of all actively flying German personnel, the Arm and Naval airship personnel had no distinctive flight qualification badge once they qualified and had been accepted into the airship services. This exception ended when a commemorative flight badge was authorized for issue almost two years after the end of hostilities to those airmen who flew in those majestic giants of the air."

That is a bit thin on the specifics of WHO qualifies and HOW you qualify.

[jaba1914]

Here the german text:

Die Abzeichen konnten auf Antrag sowohl an Offiziere, Deckoffiziere, Unteroffiziere als auch an

Mannschaften die als Luftschiffbesatzungen gedient haben und mindestens eine

einjährige Tätigkeit auf fahrbereiten Frontluftschiffen nachweisen konnten, verliehen werden.

Bei Verwundung oder Unfall im Luftschiffdienst die eine weitere Verwendung unmöglich machte sowie

Gefangenahme oder bei ganz besonderen Leistungen konnte von der Zeitbedingung abgesehen werden.

They have to be part of crews (Kommando) of air ships for more than 12 months. That means only crew members could

apply this badge. No ground personal or Feldlufschiffer (ballon units). But this is the theory.

The rules incl. exception criterias like wound during a flight or capture by enemy or exceptional performance.

I have a group of navy air shiper who doesn't belong to a Kommando and got the "Erinnerungsabzeichen für Luftschiffer". I Have a picture of him wearing this badge.

Another case is a Hptm from Feldluftschiffertruppe who also got this badge.

That makes vary difficult to say how many badges been awarded at that time.

I think many of the guys doesn't get the badge because not met the the Criterias or even because they died during the service. Other got the badge without met the criterias.

Regards Alex

Edited April 27, 2011 by jaba1914