Here is my latest acquistion, a 1957er Fliegererinnerungsabzeichen [Aviators' Commemorative Badge]. This is probably the rarest of the flight badges, both in the WW2- and the 1957 issues.

First, a little background history:

The Luftwaffe’s flight badges for pilots, glider pilots, observers, air gunners/radio operators and paratroopers were both qualification- and trade badges and thus only authorized for wear as long as the person holding them was still on actual flight status. If a Luftwaffe member holding a flight badge was no longer on flight status due to being retired, discharged or re-assigned to a ground crew role, the badge could no longer be worn.

To compensate for this, the Fliegererinnerungsabzeichen was instituted by Göring on 26 March 1936. The badge could be awarded to Luftwaffe members who ceased to be on flight status under honorable conditions and had held any one of the flight badges for several years. (The minimum time was set at 4 years for active-duty personnel, 4 years for reserve personnel who had served in military aviation in WW1 and had held a WW1-era flight badge and 15 years for all other personnel. In exceptional cases - such as a medical discharge due to injuries suffered in an aircraft accident - the badge could be awarded prior to completion of these periods.)

By an order of 12 January 1944, further awards of the badge were cancelled for the duration of the war, with the regular aviation badges now authorized for continued wear even after departure from active flight status. Those who had already been awarded a Fliegererinnerungsabzeichen after the outbreak of war had the option of returning it in exchange of their original kind of flight badge.

Here’s the badge now. It’s an early piece in nice quality:

As always, all comments are welcome.

Click to enlarge the picture