BACKGROUND: On entering Luftwaffe service EM/NCO personnel were assigned and trained for a specific trade or military function. On successful completion of the appropriate training, personnel were issue a distinctive trade specialty badge to be worn on the lower left sleeve of the service tunic and the flight and field blouses as identifying insignia with a couple of exceptions. The original trade badges were introduced in May 1935 and were supplemented with additional badges prior to and early in the war. In all the Luftwaffe utilized no fewer then thirty-nine assorted trade specialty badges. Some select trade badges were piped with twisted grey or silver/aluminum braiding to denote NCO’s ranks while some were piped with twisted gilt braiding to denote outstanding performance in the particular trade. When a trade badge was allocated with the outstanding performance, gilt braid, piping it came accompanied with an award certificate. The Flight and Air Signals Armorer's trade badge was introduced for wear by qualified EM’s on November 8TH 1935 and was utilized for the duration of the war. Of Note: The Armorer’s trade badge came in two patterns with one pattern for Flight and Signal armorer's and a second pattern for Flak Artillery and Hermann Göring regiment armorer's.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The badge consists of a roughly, 55mm diameter Luftwaffe blue/grey wool construction base with machine embroidered, diagonally angled, crossed rifles in silvery/grey rayon threads.