SA/SS pilots wings SS Fliegersturm

[Wagriff]

I still havent heard if the original poster's badge was real or not...

[Wilhelm Saris]

And so the Sido Saga continues.
Sido's reply of the 20th of July together with the two transcripts of the award of the badge was in direct response to this query sent to him as a result of the general lack of knowledge about the flying badge he was requesting.
I will look for the missing transcript from the July, 20 letter and hopefully any follow-up correspondence.

Apparently they did not know about this badge in mid-1934. In the Mitteilungsblatt der RZM from
June 23, 1934 the insignia etc. for the special formations were mentioned. Nothing was said here
about Fliegerstürme (no wonder, as the SS-Fliegerstr"rme were already disbanded in about September
1933 when the DLV was a fact). The badge was not mentioned in the first price-list.

[d'alquen]

"I still havent heard if the original poster's badge was real or not... "
I've given my opinion in post #10.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Apparently they did not know about this badge in mid-1934. In the Mitteilungsblatt der RZM from
June 23, 1934 the insignia etc. for the special formations were mentioned. Nothing was said here
about Fliegerstürme (no wonder, as the SS-Fliegerstr"rme were already disbanded in about September
1933 when the DLV was a fact). The badge was not mentioned in the first price-list.

Thanks to Mr. Derek, Herr Andreas, and Mr. Wim.

All of this marvelous to and fro in carbon paper shows how confused SS people were about SS regalia at the time, which means that we have little prospect of noodling it out. Thank you, colleagues, for your fine erudition. What a pleasure.
So should one conclude that Ritter v. Schleich and Bittrich just invented their own badge and had it made with the local embroiderer?

[Friedrich-Berthold]

We should create a thread of examples of SS uniform and insignia mayhem of the time as a primer for beginning collectors.

All of which is strong castor oil for those who clutch the "textbook" in their mitts.

[d'alquen]

It would appear from Sido's letter of the 20th (post 13) that the badge was instituted by the Reichsfuhrer-SS and that it was an achievement award with official status. Apart from the organizational changes in the aviation section of the SS, the lack of a listing in the 1934 price list, as Wim's post points out, could be explained by the fact that it was an award and not a piece of service insignia and thus not available for purchase by general members of the SS.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks for the very subtle and informed analysis. The owners show pin this thread among the classics. My thanks for so much fine knowledge.
PS I think the item at the head of the thread is a fake.

[d'alquen]

Here is the second transcript that accompanied Sido's letter of the 20th. From this it would appear that the badge came with an award document. An example of an original would certainly be interesting to see.

[Wilhelm Saris]

It would appear that the badge was instituted by the Reichsfuhrer-SS and that it was an achievement award with official status

I guess this badge was in the same "class" as the one wich was introduced for the SA:
SA-Flugzeugführer when qualified with a pilots permit for motor-planes. A variation
badge was allowed to be worn by SA-Flugzeugorter, a navigator.

In the regulation it was qualified as Auszeichnung (decoration). When no longer a
member it should be returned to the Oberste SA-Führung (from: Dienstvorschrift für die
SA der NSDAP from 1931/1932). There existed two classes, one for pilots and one for
navigators. The backing was air-blue with silver embroidered wings with a black swastika
upon a white backing within a silver ring with black dots. The navigators version had a
red ring with silver dots. You could not simply buy it somewhere in a shop, but came from
the OSAF. It was to be worn upon the left side above the pocket; the middle part just above
the button for the tunic or brownshirt.

The mentioned badge is extremely rare. I have seen it only once (30 years ago). A photo
where it was worn by a member of the SA, I cannot remember ever having seen. The SS could
not be behind and will have introduced their own version of course for SS-pilots (and navigators).

I can understand why it is so rare and even the RFSS did hardly or not know about it after
some years. It will have been only a few persons who were authorized to wear one. So, it
is also possible they vary somewhat in manufacturing.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks again. Wonderful data.