Nahkampfspange der Luftwaffe - Melee Clasp

The Air Force's melee clasp was raised on 3 November 1944 by Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe Hermann Göring to award Luftwaffe personnel who had been in close hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, as such an award for the Wehrmacht was already in existence but didnt apply to Luftwaffe troops such as the elite Fallschirmjagers - those same troops that had voraciously engaged British, American, and Canadian troops on D-Day around Caranten, and Vereville. 
 
"The increasing use of the Luftwaffe units, especially the parachute troops, in the final battles of the defensive fronts and at the focal points of the current war, as well as the nature of the Participation in these struggles gives me reason to call for the introduction of further combat insignia for the Luftwaffe."
 
This, along with 2 x other Luftwaffe clasps or badges were authorised by Hitler yet, probably due to diminished numbers of experienced personnel in the Luftwaffe at this stage of the war, or perhaps not having the resources available, they never filtered down through the senior ranks to the troops. Designed in bronze, silver, and gold (for 15, 30, and 50 days of continous close combat) few, if any, were awarded or even issued, leaving them not only extremely rare to find in their original state, but incredibly desirable. The price when you find one, if you can source one, on the open market, is always highly reflective of this.
 
This beautiful bronze example is nigh-on immaculate with just some slight discolouration of the bronze, and a tiny spot of verdigree from storage over 80 years.