Pilot Badge with Diamonds Recipients

[Mark Costa]

Included here are some photos of Luftwaffe Aces at the FHQ receiving their Swords and Diamonds Urkunde in a special ceremony. Note the Pilot/Obeserver Badges in Gold with Diamonds as being worn by Günther Lützow and Walter Oesau. Both have NOT been listed before as recipients of the diamond pilot badge, although they seem to have been awarded their badges early on in the war.

The first photo shows AH and Galland with Dietrich Peltz (also wearing the P/O with diamonds) Lützow and Wolf-Dieter Wilcke. Note the diference between Wilcke's regular badge and the Diamond badges of Peltz and Lützow.

The second shows the same scene with the addition of WalterOesau on the end with his diamond badge in full view.

The last shows Lützow (with the Diamond badge) shaking hands with other aces as they depart the FHQ. Note Hermann Graf and Herbert Ihlefeld in backgound.

[Mark Costa]

Here is another photo of Walter Oesau wearing the P/O badge with Diamonds.

[WCSTUMP]

There is no question that the two are wearing the issued model of the Pilot Observer's badge with Diamonds. Can a date be put with the photograph? It would be most helpful to determine if the badges are the first or second type.

[Mark Costa]

Can anyone identify this officer and determine whether he is wearing the P/O badge with Diamonds ???? It looks like it ! He is a senior Legion Condor Luftwaffe officer appearing on the reviewing stand during the Legion's massive parade through Berlin.

[Mark Costa]

Bill -- thanks for the verification on the Lutzow and Oesau. Another photo taken at the same time as these can be found in Gordonw Williamson's new book --page 419. It says January 20, 1944. Am I nuts, but does it look like Helbig has one TOO !!!!!!! ???????

Regards,

Mark

[WCSTUMP]

Can anyone identify this officer and determine whether he is wearing the P/O badge with Diamonds ???? It looks like it ! He is a senior Legion Condor Luftwaffe officer appearing on the reviewing stand during the Legion's massive parade through Berlin.

This is another interesting photograph. This is not General Franco and he is listed as being bestowed the badge. the record keeping on these badges was lax to say the least as was many of the Spanish Crosses with Diamonds. Galland was one of two officers first given the Spanish Cross in Gold and Göring pulling strings to get then the highest award with Diamonds. It seems that the bestowal of the Pilot Observer's Badge with Diamonds, being a non-official award, was given at the desecration of Hermann Göring when and if he wanted to. Record keeping was not accurate with Göring as many hitherto unknown recipients have come to light.

[Mark Costa]

Since the last list of recipients to appear on a previous thread in this forum, several more names have been verified as recipients of this very rare and beautiful decoration. Through the gracious time and expertise of Mr. Bill Stump, I am now able to add the following names:

Luftwaffe General Otto Dessloch
Army General Eduard Dietl
Luftwaffe Ace Oberst Walter Oesau
Luftwaffe Ace Oberst Günther Lützow
And an unidentified Legion Condor Officer as shown above.

This brings the total of positively identified recipients to 68 !!!! Far more than was previous known or imagined. One NOTE** It has been previously stated that GFM Walter von Brauchitsch was a holder. This is incorrect, the holder was ACTUALLY Oberst Bernard von Brauchitsch, Göring's Luftwaffe Aide. That name has been corrected here.

In addition, there are several other persons where there is strong documentation or photographic evidence to place these individuals in a "probable" status. These are:

Luftwaffe General Hans Kettenbeil
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
Luftwaffe Ace Hans Joachim Marseille
Luftwaffe General Hans Grauert
Luftwaffe Ace Heinz Bär
Luftwaffe Ace Joachim Helbig
Luftwaffe Ace Alfred Druschel
Luftwaffe General Karl Koller

In addition to these, there are two other names that appeared to a previous reference by Chris Ailsby that may be recipients:

Frau Gräfin von Stauffenberg -- female test pilot.
And an unknown recipient known only as "Fraff".

HERE IS THE UPDATED LIST:

Hermann Göring
Walter Wever
Hans Jeschonnek
Ernst Udet
Bruno Loerzer
Albert Kesselring
Hugo Sperrle
Erhard Milch
Wolfram von Richtofen
Bernard von Brauschitsh
Dietrich Peltz
Karl Bodenschatz
Eduard Stumpf
Frpedrich Christiansen
Kurt Student
Hanna Reitsch
Martin Harlinghausen
Robert Ritter von Greim
Alfred Keller
Alexander Löhr
Carl von Gablenz
Werner Mölders
Adolf Galland
Hermann Graf
Hans Ulrich Rudel
Werner Baumbach
Erich Hartmann
Heinrich Himmler
Erwin Rommel
Werner von Blomberg
Sepp Dietrich
Otto Skorzeny
Italo Balbo
Victor Valle
Marshall Antonescu
Benito Mussolini
Francisco Franco
Eduard Korten
Nicolaus von Below
Hans Pfugbeil
Bernhard H. Ramcke
Gordon Gollob
Walter Nowotny
Helmut Lent
Heinz W. Schnaufer
Gustav Mannerheim
Karl Dönitz
Karl Angerstein
Niklos Horthy
Hans Baur
Josef Kammhuber
Gustav Kastner-Kirdorf
Albert Parani
Heinrich Trettner
Fredrick Navratil
Erich von Manstein
General Vuillemin
General D'Astie De La Vigerie
Colonel Moragilia
Colonel De Geffrier
Colonel Petitjean
Capitaine Schmidlein
Otto Dessloch
Eduard Dietl
Walter Oesau
Gunther Lützow
Unidentified Legion Condor Officer
General Hans Kettenbeil
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
Hans Joachim Marseille
General Hans Grauert
Heinz Bär
Alfred Druschel
Joachim Helbig
Karl Koller
Gräfin von Stauffenberg
Fraff

If anyone has any photos or documentation that might be helpful in confirming the validity of the "probable" recipients or have photos of any other name that DOES NOT appear here, please contact this author or post them here. It would be much appreciated.
Thank you.

Mark Costa

[USAF1986]

Mark,

Outstanding! Thanks for the updated roster! Here's a pic of General der Flieger Karl Koller displaying his WWI Bavarian Army Pilot's Badge, pre-WWI Aero Club Badge and a LW CPOB...can you tell anything from this photo? This type of identification is not my field!

Regards,
Shawn

[Matt Gibbs]

There is a book as follows by Gerhard Bracke, - MELITTA GRÄFIN STAUFFENBERG: Das Leben einer Fliegerin (Langen Müller, München 1990).

It contains over 40 photos and i wondered if anyone had it and could comfirm whether there are pictures of her wearing this award..? I have not got the book but have seen it mentioned.

She certainly seems to have been quite an interesting person! In one of the female pioneers of aviation webpages it mentions that she won the 'Military pilots badge with diamonds' for her efforts in this field.

Regards
Matt Gibbs

[WCSTUMP]

I have placed a pre-order for the book at Amazon.com, but they are out. I would be most interested to know if she had the PO with Diamonds.

[Matt Gibbs]

Bill;
link to the site I mentioned...

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... 8%26sa%3DG

regards

Matt

[WCSTUMP]

"1945 -- Melitta Schiller of Germany receives the Iron Cross and the diamond-studded Military Flight Badge for conducting an unprecedented 1500 test dives of German dive bombers."

ACORDING TO THE INFORMATION ON THE SITE WE HAVE A SECOND FEMALE RECIPIENT OF THE PILOT OBSERVER'S BADGE WITH DIAMONDS.

[Mark Costa]

Bill -- Am I correct in my thinking that Melitta Schiller is the same person as Gräfin von Stauffenberg ?????? Or are they different women entirely ??

Regards,

Mark

[WCSTUMP]

One in the same as her brother-in-law was Claus Stauffenberg. The way I understand it is that she married into the Staffenberg family.

[Mark Costa]

Since last Sunday we have been able to establish the receipt of the P/O badge with Diamonds for both Melitta Schiller Grafin Von Stauffenberg and Hans Joachim Marseille.

Marseille received his badge in early August 1942 while on leave in Berlin after the award of the KC with swords. Goering presented him with the badge win recognition of Marseille's award by the Italian government of the Italian Gold Medal of Bravery. Both Marseille and Melitta Grafin Von Stauffenberg can now taken of the "probable" list and included with the rest of the actual recipients.

Regards,

Mark