Italian Pilot's Badge

[Fredo Hara]

Originally Posted by JG53_Volto

Are you sure Fredo? Do you have any image? I'd like to see this badge!!
Ciao

Of course Alessandro !
What do you think ?
Fredo

[veltro]

IMHO, "Assi" Hahn wore that Regia Aeronautica's pilot badge either because he had exchaged it with an Italian pilot of the Corpo Aereo Italiano based in Belgium during the second half of 1940, or he was offered with one when visiting one of such units.

A third possibility could be that Hahn spent some time in Italy before the war (several dozens of Luftwaffe pilots effected flying courses in Italy by that time) and obtained the eagle there.

Wearing two pilot badges certainly was peculiar, but not so inexplicable, I guess...

[Chris Goss]

The photo of Hahn was taken late BofB but before mid-Nov 40 so he would have had plenty of time to interact with his Italian counterparts. I also have a photo of Hogeback who also sports the same badge-didn't Marseille also have the 2?

[fran]

Hello,
The Italian Pilot Badge its nothing to wear as a gift like a staffelnadel or so. It was formally awarded by the Italian Air
Ministery 'Ad Honorem' to foreign pilots.
Here are one of such documents awarded to a german hauptmann. Sorry I can't disclose the name because the item isn't mine.
Regards

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Originally Posted by fran

Hello,
The Italian Pilot Badge its nothing to wear as a gift like a staffelnadel or so. It was formally awarded by the Italian Air
Ministery 'Ad Honorem' to foreign pilots.
Here are one of such documents awarded to a german hauptmann. Sorry I can't disclose the name because the item isn't mine.
Regards

Nice document, fran, I have official docu copies to Hungarian pilots too (who were trained in Italy)

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Significant number of Hungarian pilots wore that badge (the first one) as well and not just the ones, who were trained in Italy before the war started. So I guess, it was not so rare at the Luftwaffe as well. BTW my Hungarian aces book contains the foreign pilot badges as well (some Hungarian aces wore the Italian, or Bulgarian or Croat pilot badges too) I have some nice pictures about Hungarian pilots with foreign pilot badges as well.