German WWII NAMED Air Gunner / Wireless Operator by Assmann-This is a beautiful badge. This air gunner wireless operator badge retains the majority of its silver finish on the wreath. The details on the eagle are excellent. This is an interesting badge. This is a multipiece example, you can see the original rivet on the reverse holding the eagle firmly to the wreath. Someone has done a repair on this badge and used a screw or bolt to hold the other side of the eagle to the wreath. You can see the screw head on the reverse, and you can also see where the bolt has penetrated the eagle’s wing as well. It looks like this was buffed or smoothed down to not be so obvious. The pin setup works as it should. The reverse of this badge is clearly marked with the stylized “A” for Assmann and DGRM. On the reverse you can also see where someone named Lindner has scratched his name onto the wreath. This is an interesting badge with a bit of history to it.
History: Air Gunner qualification badge was introduced by Hermann Göring on March 26th, 1936 as an award to radio operators, air gunners and mechanics who had met the required criteria. The Wireless Operator/Air Gunner badge was awarded on an individual basis and the main criteria for bestowal was the completion of five operational flights over enemy territory or a minimum of two months active service.