Luftwaffe Fallschirmsch?tzenabzeichen.

[J Temple-West]

List of manufacturers:

Assmann.

C.E Juncker.

JMME.

GWL.

G.H Osang.

P.Meybauer.

B&NL.

W.Deumer.

"unknown maker"

An early example by 'JMME & Shon' having the silver wreath and brass eagle.

[J Temple-West]

Reverse..

[J Temple-West]

Another example, being the slightly later style, with black wreath by C.E Juncker.

[J Temple-West]

Reverse..

[J Temple-West]

Typical (early) case..

[J Temple-West]

case..

[Tony]

I like these badges!

When I was at tech college, one of the blokes brought his Grandad's badge in to show me. He didn't even know what his Grandad had done in the war and thought he might have been a pilot.

Even though his family had no interest in the war and didn't even speak about what Peter's Grandad did, he still didn't want to give the badge to me.

We lost touch after tech college so I wonder if he still has it.

Tony

[J Temple-West]

Thank's for that, Tony.. All that history locked away in a draw..Pity!

[J Temple-West]

Early Buntmetal example by the "Unknown" maker..

[J Temple-West]

Reverse..

[Tony]

John,

I can't remember where I read this but is it true that a typical fake will have a longer tail protruding over the wreath?

Tony

[dond]

Assman

[dond]

the reverse

[J Temple-West]

Hi Don,

Nice late 'Assmann'...

@Tony..As you can see from Don's example, the long tailed rule is no indicator of real or fake.. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to fakes, I only wish there were..

[Dave B]

Why was the wreath changed from silver to black?

Dave

[J Temple-West]

Hi Dave,

This is a question I've pondered over, too...

The Luftwaffe para badge was instituted in '36. All early examples were made with either high grade nickel silver or plated Tombak wreaths. At the onset of hostilities, the design and materials changed due to the increased demand from the Luftwaffe and the lack of these high grade materials. In, or around, 1942 the badge underwent its final design change and the chemically blackened wreath came into existence. Now, whether this 'black wreathed' type was made to cut down the glare that the silver wreath would have given off, during battle, or was just a matter of being a design change that took off...?

I had the opportunity to ask an old fallschirmjager vet this very question and he answered thus.... "The black wreath was for us to remember our Comrades who fell in Crete" I'm not sure how much truth there is in this, if any, but it's as good as any of the other bits of speculation...

I?m sure there will be someone that has the correct answer..

[Jan Arne S]

Here is a variant of Assmann LW Para Badge that it not seen so often . Badge made of Aluminium .

Jan Arne

Edited May 29, 2005 by Jan Arne S

[Jan Arne S]

Back of Assmann LW Para Badge made of Aluminium . Marked "A" + " D.R.G.M "

Jan Arne

Edited May 29, 2005 by Jan Arne S

[Jan Arne S]

One more Assmann LW Para Badge . Double marked badge in zinc "A" + "L/64" .

Jan Arne

[Jan Arne S]

Back of Assmann LW Para double marked .

Jan Arne

[Jan Arne S]

One more Assmann LW Para Badge made of Tombac .

Jan Arne

[Jan Arne S]

Back of Assmann LW Para Badge made of Tombac .

Jan Arne

Edited May 31, 2005 by Jan Arne S

[Gene]

I no longer have it, but had a para badge made by "Hans Gnad, Wien" and I have also seen a JFS made piece that I believed original too.

[Jan Arne S]

Hi Gene !

The Hans Gnad LW Para badges is beleived to be fakes , at least the few I have seen . But JFS should have made LW Para Badges , but I think these are very rare . I have never seen one , only scans from a book or magasin .

Jan Arne

[Bob Hunter]

Just my opinion but I think when it comes to early FJ badges Deumer quality is unequaled.