Badge For Shooting Down Low Flying Aircraft

[Craig]

I believe that the Germans issued a badge similar to the Tank destruction badge for shooting down aircraft with small arms.! Is there any evidence this badge existed?

[John]

Its possible - they issued badges for just about everything else! wub.gif

[Nick]

It was instituted on 12th Jan 1945 but it is believed only awarded on paper. Due to the late stages of the war the badge is highly unlikely to have been ever made. You do see repro's about that give an idea of what it would have looked like. It looks like the tank destruction badge but instead of a panzer has a small fixed wing aircraft in the center. It was awarded along the lines of the tank destruction badge i.e. to shoot down the aircraft single handed but not as part of a flak battery etc.

[Rikster]

The award did exist as a 1957 award,
look here.
http://www.panzergirl.com/miscpage2.html


I hope this does not constitute a shameless plug!

Cheers, Rik

[Firefly]

You would have to be a bloody good shot to shoot down a plane from 1957!!! Or did hand-held SAM's count?!!

[Nick]

1957 awards were denazified awards officially instituted by the West German Government in 1957 to replace Third Reich Awards issued to WW2 veterans.

Generally the design of the awards was the same as the original WW2 awards with the removal of the swastika and in many cases the eagle from the design. The awards were in general poorly made compared to their wartime counter parts. Although initial awards manufactured were of a comparable standard as wartime stocks where they still existed, were used in the process.

Political awards were not included, but all combat, campaign and valour type awards were. Also combat awards that were awarded on paper but never manufactured were also manufactured in a 1957 type form this being an example.

[Biscuit Brown]

Ah , but Firefly, did you know that the British Army teaches that to fire at a Low flying jet at 1km, you should aim approx. 30 aircraft lengths ahead of the aircraft before starting to fire on full automatic....

No, I'm not joking....

[Firefly]

:excl: :excl: :violent-smiley-017: :violent-smiley-017: :violent-smiley-017:

[Guest Atilla Jones]

Never seen any photos of it being worn, and the date of its institution makes it another of those awards existing on paper which stayed that way.

[Rikster]

Never  seen  any  photos  of  it  being  worn,  and  the  date  of  its  institution   makes  it  another  of  those  awards  existing  on  paper  which  stayed  that  way.

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Stayed on paper until 1957

Cheers, Rik

[John]

If I may quote Detlev Niemann's 'Orders,Decorataions,Award Documents,Miniatures and Cases of Issue'.
7.0514 Tieffliegervernichtungs-Abzeichen
Special Badge for Shooting Down Low Flying Aircraft.

Gold - destruction of 5 aircraft.
Black - desruction of 1 aircraft.

Remarks; There is as yet no evidence that the badge was ever officially produced or awarded.

A great book by the way, I'm not really into Thirdy stuff, but the book is beautiful, and so I bought it.

[Biscuit Brown]

I must admit, the ww2 german stuff doesn't interest me. They were evil we weren't. We won , they lost....

[Jim P]

Here is a picture of what it is supposed to look like from the book"Combat Medals of THe Third Reich".The author goes on to say one was brought back by his uncle in 1948,but I find that highly suspect.

Jim P

[Gordon Williamson]

one was brought back by his uncle in 1948

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By which time the fake manufacturers like Souval were already churning them out. I have yet to hear of an example of this award with anything remotely approaching good provenancee or the faintest chance of being pre-May 1945.

[Jim P]

By which time the fake manufacturers like Souval were already churning them out. I have yet to hear of an example of this award with anything remotely approaching good provenancee or the faintest chance of being pre-May 1945.

←

That was kind of my thought too.As if the author was trying to lend provenance to his piece by putting it in his book.

Jim P

[Guest WAR LORD]

There was NO intention of giving credance to the piece in the book. The fact that the piece was brought back from the region of Bielafed, dose preclude the Souval conection. His particular job was inteligence. His contacts and time in Germany were rather interesting.

[Gordon Williamson]

There was NO intention of giving credance to the piece in the book. The fact that the piece was brought back from the region of Bielafed, dose preclude the Souval conection. His particular job was inteligence. His contacts and time in Germany were rather interesting.

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How does the place it was brought back from ( I presume its Bielefeld) preclude it being made in Austria ??

[Guest WAR LORD]

He picked it up around 1945, with other items. Thus the conection with Austria would be a bit difficult. It was just the plane. Not on anybacking. He gave it to me as a toy in about 1947 when he was on leave in England. He thought it was a good play thing for a small boy. Not many toys at that time. Another point of interest, the Monopoly Game had a plane as these in 1950 as a counter. Possibly used these emblems as othere items were converted. The Army dagger ferrel was sold in the early 50's as rings in this country.

[fknorr]

I must admit, the ww2 german stuff doesn't interest me. They were evil we weren't. We won , they lost....

This is pretty humorous.

[Paul R]

Are there any photos or proof of even post war wear of this award? Has anyone ever seen a gold version on a legitimate 57 bar or tunic?

Shooting down five aircraft... can you image the skill or luck? That would make the awardee an ace... technically!

Paul

Edited October 30, 2005 by Paul Reck