Luftwaffe Air to Ground Support Operational Flying Clasp - Silver Class

Air to Ground Support Operational Flying Clasp - Silver Class. A round wreath of laurel leaves with a swastika at the base and on each side a sprig of oak leaves. In the centre are blackened crossed swords The reverse is plain except for the makers mark of 'G.H.OSANG. Dresden' and a wide vertical brooch pin.

The clasp was to reward fliers who had successfully damaged Russian armoured vehicles. The missions required for the clasp were bronze - twenty, silver - sixty and gold 110. There was also a pendant for 400 missions.

The badge was collected by William Alexander Trickett, who was born in Melbourne on 12 June, 1917. He joined the Air Cadets on 16 January, 1939 and transferred to the RAAF on 26 May, 1940. Trickett trained as a Navigator at Parkes, NSW. He embarked for the United Kingdom on 21 February 1941, and after further training there undertook 18 missions as a Pilot Officer and Flight Lieutenant with 35 and 76 Squadrons RAF.

On the night of 27/28 April, 1942 the Halifax bomber, in which he was the Navigator, was hit by Flak, damaging the controls of the aircraft and killing the rear gunner. Trickett bailed out with two other crew members (the Flight Engineer and Wireless Operator), over Dunkirk, was captured and became a prisoner of war. Between 1942 and 1945 Trickett was held at Stalag Luft III and Oflag IIIB. On 21 April 1945 Stalag Luft III was liberated by the Russian Army. The German guards left the camp to the inmates who had to fend for themselves. Trickett's duty at the end of April was to obtain the bread supply from the local town of Luckenwalde 30 miles South of Berlin, where he also obtained a selection of German combat badges at an abandoned shop. After his release he rejoined 76 Squadron. He was discharged on 15 January 1946.