Germany, Airship Crew Member’s Badge, by F.L.L., central bronze-gilt medallion depicting the LZ 127 in flight, and green enamelled surround with ‘Luftschiff LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin’, 45mm., reverse with original pin-device for wearing, good very fine and rare £150-200

One of the most famous airships of all time, the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin flew commercially from 1928-37, making a total of 590 flights which covered over a million miles, including those of the cross-Atlantic variety and a round-the -world trip in 1929. But her illustrious career came to a sudden end in May 1937, when the LZ 129 Hindenburg met her costly demise at Lakehurst in the U.S.A., thereby enforcing the 127’s immediate withdrawal from commercial work. She was eventually scrapped on the orders of Goring in March 1940, but not before having carried out a number of propaganda flights in Germany at the behest of Goebbels.