Jan Zumbach....

[Wurger]

Yes it does. The oxide-steel badge for pilots and the golden one for navigators.

 

[Lucky13]

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff. So iks your's 'Master Navigator/Signaller', Wojtek - just looking at the lightning bolts, suggesting signals.

 

[Wurger]

You are almost right Terry. These lightning bolts represented using of the spark-gap transmitter for radio communication initially. I'm sure you remember that first planes were of the recce type mostly and two-seaters usually. A pilot was a "driver" only and was a non-commissioned officer usually. His main task was to control a plane and just fly. Therefore the pilot's badge is of steel colour. A navigator-observer was an officer always. He was responsible for not only navigation, reconnaissance but also for communication. These lightning bolts were copied from the Austrian badges. Later , when the radar was introduced, these lightning bolts became symbol of the radar signals.

And yes I have the Master Navigator grade for the military occupation specialty. Also I have the same grade as a military airtraffic controller. But there is no badge for this specialty.