German badges from WW1


NAVY LAND PLANE PILOT BADGE. This is a very appealing example of the Navy Land Plane Pilot Badge. It is of the one-piece variety. It has a striking gilt finish with some toning to the obverse. The reverse bears hallmarking from the firm of Meybauer, along with a flat pin.	BAVARIAN ARMY AIR OBSERVER BADGE. This is a very solid example of a Bavarian Army Observer Badge.


PRUSSIAN ARMY COMMEMORATIVE PILOT BADGE. This badge would have been worn by Prussian Army pilots who no longer flew on active duty. It is sometimes referred to as a "Retired Pilots" badge. The badge is unique among Prussian badges as it is cut out and the eagle is flying over the landscape. Herman Göring wore a badge similar to this in several photos during the 1930's.	BAVARIAN Worn under the same terms and conditions as the Prussian badge on the left. These two are very similar with the main difference being the crowns. This underscores the fact that WW1 Germany was a group of States, Principalities, Duchies and was not just 1 unified country. As well the Austo- Hungarian Empire was part of the war effort.

AIR SERVICE COMMEMORATIVE BADGE. This is one of the more unusual Imperial German Flight Badges. It was issued for a very brief time: apparently from about January 1914 until August 1914. It was issued at the same time as the Commemorative Pilot Badge. The Commemorative Pilot Badge was principally used for men who were no longer on active flight status due perhaps to health or injuries. The Air Service Commemorative Badge was used for men who had attained flight status ( thus being entitled to the Prussian Army Pilot Badge & having its certificate). However, they might have been returned to their previous duties because of a need in those units (cavalry, infantry, artillery, etc.). What is known is that it was not awarded in any great numbers (the exact amount is not known).

STICK PINS. This was an un-official German method of wearing "medals" in civilian clothing. Where as in the British Empire - Commonwealth it was considered acceptable for men to wear their medal ribbons on civilian clothing it was not "right" to wear medals or miniatures except on ANZAC Day or Remembrance day. In Germany it became common for men to have miniature copies of their medals without ribbons mounted onto a stick pin as shown here.

It features, from left to right: the 1914 Iron Cross, Hanseatic Cross from Hamburg, the Hindenburg Cross for Combatants, and the Army Black Wound Badge.

Zeppelin air ships were a large part of the German attempt to control the air war in WW1. They were used to bomb London and HMAS Sydney was attacked by one. This is the Pilot's badge for a Zeppelin crew.

Imperial German Submariners badge. (U-boat). WW1


WW1 Pilot's badge, Austro-Hungarian	Air gunner (WW1) Austro-Hungarian

German WWI Naval Sea-Plane Pilot Badge	Air-sports badge

WW1 Pilot's badge, Austro-Hungarian (variation) Imperial Austrian KuK Air Force WW1 Pilot Wings Badge, maker marked by "J.Zimbler Wien VII ".	WW1 German Tanker's Badge

1914/18 U Boat crew badge	German Heavy Machine gunners badge WW1

British copy of a German medal struck to celebrate the sinking of the "Lusitania".

In 1903 the Cunard Line led by Lord Inverclyde began construction on two fast and luxurious liners to challenge the German vessels that had held the ‘Blue Riband’ since 1897.

The resulting sister ships RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauritania would be a firm reassertion of British supremacy at sea.

Launched at the River Clyde in June 16, 1906, RMS Lusitania was a grand ship and the first of the two sister ships to be launched.

At 785 feet in length and 31,550 gross tons, she took the title of largest liner afloat. Her maiden voyage took place September 7, 1907, and in October 1907 she recaptured the coveted ‘Blue Riband’ from the German liner Deutschland.

On the May 1, 1915 Lusitania left New York for the final time. A number of Americans were aboard, including the wealthy Alfred Vanderbilt and noted theatre producer Charles Frohman. On May 7 with the coast of Ireland in sight, German U-boat U-20 torpedoed Lusitania. She sank in 18 short minutes taking 1,195 lives - 123 of them American. Although America did not immediately declare war on Germany, that would occur in April 1917, her sinking contributed to the mood that turned the tide of American public opinion against Germany and led the United States to join the Allied cause in World War I.

Deliberately torpedoed by German WW1 U Boats the Civilian Cruise Liner Lusitania went to the bottom on the 5th of May 1915 with huge loss of life.

The ORIGINAL medal (issued in very small number by the Germans) to CELEBRATE this massive victory!!!.... was RE-RELEASED by the British Government in almost IDENTICAL FORM and used as PRIME EXAMPLE of German Inhumanity for Allied propaganda purposes. Skeletal figure of DEATH sells the Lusitania passenger's their tickets !!!

The spelling of May (Mai) was anglicized, otherwise this ghoulish celebration of mass murder is identical to the incredibly RARE German 1st issue example. Cast in IRON during World War One CIRCA 1915-1916.

I have been looking for a WW1 medal that was issued for all the troops in the 88th Division. ( my Grandfather was in the 337th Machine Gun Company.) It is called the clover leaf medal. I have a picture of it and the history behind the medal but cannot find one. The search for the medal led me to your site. I was wondering if you have ever seen this medal before. I have been unable to find it on my search on the web. Thanks, Phil Armour