Erinnerungsband Geschwader Boelcke ( Cuff title Boelcke Squadron)

The Geschwader Boelcke, (Boelcke Squadron), Commemorative Honor cufftitle was one of a series of commemorative honor cufftitles introduced by the Luftwaffe to honor fallen comrades and heroic pilots of WWI. The Geschwader Boelcke cufftitle was introduced on April 18TH 1935 for wear by all personnel of Flieger Geschwader Fassberg, (Flight Squadron Fassberg). The cufftitle was to be worn by all ranks on the lower right sleeve of the service tunic and officer were also authorized wear of the cufftitle on the lower right sleeve of the flight blouse and the optional white summer tunic. Officer’s cufftitle were produced in hand embroidered silver/aluminum wire threads while EM/NCO’s were produced in machine embroidered silver/grey threads. Officers who had served in the WWI Jagdstaffel, (Fighter Squadron), Boelcke were distinguished by the addition of bright silver/aluminum top and bottom edge trim on their cufftitles. During the war Flieger Geschwader Fassberg was re-designated Kampfgeschwader 154, (Bomber Wing 154), then Kampfgeschwader 157 and finally Kampfgeschwader 27, but personnel retained the right to wear the cufftitle. Of Note: Born in Giebichstein on May 19TH 1891 Oswald Boelcke joined the German armed forces as a cadet in March 1911 and served with a Telegraph Battalion at Koblenz. Boelcke soon transferred to the newly formed Air Service and had achieved his pilot’s licence in early 1914. By mid-1916 Boelcke had been promoted to the rank of Hauptmann and was the first German air corp. winner of the coveted Pour le Mérite, (Blue Max). Boelcke, was credited with forty official aerial victories before he was killed in an in air collision on October 28TH 1916. While on an extended leave in early 1916 Boelcke wrote a report on aerial tactics and organization which changed the way the German air corps fought and earned him the unofficial title of Father of Air Fighting Tactics.