German WWII Luftwaffe Operational Fly Clasp for Reconnaissance in Bronze by BSW- This is a very handsome example in bronze. It retains the majority of its finish on both the obverse and reverse, and you can see the tombac, but it has a very nice toning, with exquisite details on this badge by BSW. It is very nicely marked on the back with the BSW logo for Bruder Schneider A.G. This would make a good display piece only as the pin is broken off of this example. We have the pin but it will need to be repaired and soldered back on to the reverse of the badge. Otherwise, this is a great looking example!
History: The Reconnaissance, Air/Sea Rescue and Meteorological Operational Flying Clasp was introduced by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring on January 30th, 1941, along with two other clasps, in a series of eight that were instituted at different points throughout the war to recognize the increasing number of operational flights achieved by specialized Luftwaffe personnel. All eight of the clasps were awarded in three grades, Bronze for twenty operational flights, Silver for sixty operational flights, and Gold for one hundred ten operational flights. By mid-1942 many pilots and aircrew were surpassing the number of operational flights required for award of the clasps, so on June 26th, 1942, Göring introduced a starburst pendant device to recognize operational flights of over one hundred and ten with a prescribed number of operational flights required for award depending on the type of clasp. In the case of the Reconnaissance, Air/Sea Rescue and Meteorological clasp three hundred operational flights were necessary for the award of the starburst pendant. Of Note: Due to the ever-increasing operational flights achieved by Luftwaffe personnel Göring decided to replace the sunburst pendant on April 29th, 1944, with a new numbered pendant. The numbered pendants began at "200" and went up as high as "2000" in increments of one hundred.