The Generalluftzeugmeister
(or GL for short) was the civilian Supply and Procurement Service that handled
many of the Luftwaffe's technical duties such
as testing and requisitioning supplies. The organisation employed a large
number of civilians and they were given a distinct cap badge to wear in order
to distinguish it from regular units of the Luftwaffe. It was said that before
the war, members wore a visor hat with
the standard Luftwaffe eagle national emblem,
but later the insignia was redesigned specifically for the Generalluftzeugmeister to include a
cog wheel encircling the eagle. However, most period photos show that this was
also worn as a breast badge where most men would wear the fliegerbluse with red
piping. The badge has been found marked and unmarked where the above shows one
in aluminium and a later war variant in heavy tombak and with longer prongs.
From author’s collection.
