{"product_id":"an-early-cased-luftwaffe-pilots-badge-named-to-flieger-speck-g29401","title":"An Early Cased Luftwaffe Pilot’s Badge Named To Flieger Speck","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003eAn Early \u003cspan class=\"m_-2465056529269416717gmail-m_-1211432885491647792gmail-il\"\u003eJuncker\u003c\/span\u003e Pilot’s badge, so called “J-1”, wreath and eagle in nickel silver, thin wreath, measures 64.4mm (w) x 52.86mm (h), weighs 29.0 grams, marked on reverse \"C.E. \u003cspan class=\"m_-2465056529269416717gmail-m_-1211432885491647792gmail-il\"\u003eJuncker\u003c\/span\u003e Berlin S W\", textbook example, with hand scratched owner's name on reverse (Speck), in very fine condition; in an early, fine quality case of issue, also very fine. Version of  this badge in nickel silver is scarce.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFootnote: A Likely Recipient of this Badge is M\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eanfred Freiherr Speck von Sternburg, an officer in the Luftwaffe. The highest rank he achieved was that of Major. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnly bits and pieces from his life are known. In March of 1936, Speck von Sternburg participated in the 3rd International Flying Meet of the Aero Club of Egypt at Cairo, piloting a Ju-86 B-08 named “Kismet’, winning the competition. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring the Second War, he became the Group Commander of the 3rd Group of Kampfgeschwader (Fighter Wing) 27 “Boelcke”. This wing flew missions against Poland during the Polish Campaign, and was redeployed to the Western Front after the end of the campaign. It then flew missions targeting cities in France and Belgium in early 1940. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSince the end of June, the wing participated in spoiling attacks on English airports and airfields, eventually also targeting cities, among them London, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Manchester. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn a solo flight on August 19th, 1940, which should have taken him to Liverpool, Speck von Sternburg apparently lost his way and instead ended up dropping six bombs on the RAF night fighter station of Coltishall in the county of Norfolk, near Norwich. They did minor damage to an unfinished hangar, but killed several civilian workers. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpeck von Sternburg died on October 22, 1940. Upon returning from another mission over England in a group of five, the pilot, Lieutenant Rudolf Jansen, crashed the plane into a lake near Goven on their way back to the Wing’s airfield in Rennes due to fog and severely reduced visibility. The only survivor, Sergeant Gerhard Hobbie, jumped out of the plane without a parachute before impact, and was badly injured. Speck von Sternburg and Jansen were killed, as were NCO Erwin-Oskar Schmidt, and Sergeant Max Karwinkel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"eMedals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46120152170773,"sku":"G29401","price":1500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0713\/9105\/2053\/files\/e_6208.jpg?v=1692868045","url":"https:\/\/www.emedals.com\/products\/an-early-cased-luftwaffe-pilots-badge-named-to-flieger-speck-g29401","provider":"eMedals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}