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The Air Gunner/Flight Engineer's Badge was instituted on June 22, 1942. This badge takes the form of the
Radio Operator/Air Gunner badge except that there are no lightening bolts clutched in the eagles' claws. Early examples were
initially made in Tombak, but as the war progressed zinc became the usual material. The badge was awarded to air gunners,
flight engineers, and aircrew meteorologists, who completed two months training or had participated in five operational flights.
The badge could be awarded sooner if the recipient was wounded during an operational flight. Like all Luftwaffe badges it
can also be found in cloth and embroidered wire.
The following is a
list of known makers:
C.E.Juncker
F.W.Assmann
W.Deumer
B&NL
BSW
IMME/JMME
As
was typical, this badge was presented in a dark blue case with the interior consisting of blue satin upper lid lining, and
blue flocking base. The name of the award stencilled in gold on the outer-top part of the case, such as "Luftwaffen=Fliegerschutzen=Abzeichen",
or the more rare "Bordmechanikerabz". Later cases were made of cardboard and glued or stapled together.
The award was worn on the left breast pocket of the
tunic, below the Iron Cross 1st Class, if awarded.
There was also an 'unqualified' version where the awardees had not undergone
the required course. This bade was the same except the colours were reversed: Blacked wreath and silvered eagle. | 
