Bulgarian badge

[grosz]

Please help if anyone knows anything more about this badge?

[Watchdog]

I believe this is the pilot wing of the sometimes called Bulgarian "Secret Airforce". They were nominally the crews of civil aircraft at the time when Bulgaria was limited by the treaty of Versailles just as Germany was and the Bulgarians were up to the same tricks as the Germans were with the DLV and NSFK etc.

I hope this helps.

Mark
PS I have seen these with a screw back and maker mark as well

[harryamb2]

I agree.

[grosz]

Thank you very much, that's very interesting piece of information.I have not met with a similar badge.

[Sokol]

I'd disagree a bit The "Secret Airforce" badge was just a flying eagle. Nothing more. Then came this badge, ca. 1937, with king Boris' letter. It's not secret and not civil. This is the qualification badge of the military airmen of the newly /officially/ restored Bulgarian Air Force. This wing was given for the 1st pilot exam. The fully qualified pilot would have the other type of badge - wreath, crown, golden eagle flying over blue enamel background, you must have seen it. This badge, the eagle with B letter, was also given to lots of German Luftwaffe personnel /not only pilots, but even to Flak/.

BTW, I'm not keen about this particular one. Looks like a bad quality cast copy. Also, is that white enamel on the B letter? Never seen before such a feature... Such badges were made in Germany, too, so who knows, but most often, when it looks strange, it is no good.