A Luftwaffe Honour Goblet to a Bf 109 Pilot

A Luftwaffe Honour Goblet in German “Feinsilber, Alpaka” by JOH. WAGNER & Sohnn, and awarded to Feldwebel Heinz Rosler on the 21.11.42

Feldwebel (later Oberfeldwebel) Rosler was a Bf 109 reconnaissance pilot with Aufklärungsgruppe 2 (H) 14 and 1/Nahaufklarungsgruppe 11 (NaGr.11). He was awarded the Iron Cross first Class and the German Cross in Gold and can be researched on the Kracker Luftwaffe Archive.

Overall condition is good. The definition to the fighting eagles  crisp, the oakleaves with slight wear from handling. Below the oakleaves is the plain band engraved Feldwebel Heinz Rosler AM 21.11.42, the base with Für Besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg", or Honour Goblet "For Special Achievement in the Air War". The Goblet has however been de-Nazified with the Swastika removed from the Iron Cross and the base appears to have been compressed slightly.

The Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe was instituted on 27th February 1940 by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Reich Minister of Aviation and Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe. The award was given only to flying personnel (pilots and aircrew). Recipients' named were published in the periodical Ehrenliste der Deutschen Luftwaffe (Honor List of the German Air Force). German archives indicate that approximately 58,000 were given "on paper", but only 13–15,000 goblets were actually awarded according to the records.

The award was made to aircrew who had already been awarded the Iron Cross First Class but whose performance was not considered to merit the German Cross or Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. It was replaced by the Luftwaffe Honour Roll Clasp in January 1944.

The actual goblet was produced in two materials, fine silver (German: Feinsilber) or also in German Silver (German: Alpaka) or Nickel silver. The size is about 200 mm tall x 100 mm in diameter. The goblet was produced in two pieces which were fitted together into one unit.

The last two images show an aircraft of Rosler's unit being inspected by RAF personel in North Africa

A nice displayable piece priced to reflect the issues