Aviation Diligence Badge from the Ministry of Communications/遞信省 航空有功章 航空勤勞章

Established on September 12, 1941 by Ministry of Communications Ordinance No. 83. Badge was awarded by the Minister of Communications to aircraft crew members, flight radio operators and maintenance workers with outstanding skills for long and diligent work. It could also be awarded to persons who engaged in aeronautical research (made new aeronautical equipment or materials), persons engaged in aviation training or dissemination of aeronautical knowledge, air service workers, person who owns facilities related to aviation. Awarding the badge was accompanied by the payment of a cash prize. Badge was worn on the right side of the chest. Between September 1941 and July 1943 badge was called 航空有功章 - Aviation Meritorious Service Badge and after July 1943 航空勤勞章 - Aviation Diligence Badge. Type 1941 "Aviation Meritorious Service Badge" have green/blue/red enamel border while type 1943 "Aviation Diligence Badge" is unenamelled.​

Type 1943 badge "Aviation Diligence Badge".

Silver, gilt.
Size 47 x 42 mm.
Weight 41.1 g.

Reverse

航空 - Aviation

勤勞章 - Diligence /hard-work; industrious/ Badge

Marked 純銀 - pure silver.

Original case from July 1943 + time period.

航空勤勞章 - Aviation Diligence Badge

 

Original 1941 regulation.

Full-size badge.

航空有功章 - Aviation Meritorious Service Badge

Miniature badge.

略章 - Reduced [Abbreviated] Badge

On July 19, 1943 badge was renamed to 航空勤勞章 - Aviation Diligence Badge.

 

Another example of cased full-size Type 1943 badge.

Silver, gilt.
Size 46.5 x 42.05 mm.
Weight 40.7 g.

Mark.

Case.

 

Type 1941 badge from the collection of Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum. It was awarded to Kanbei Tanaka, the world's first test pilot to reach an altitude of 10,000 meters. He also performed test flights for Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien and Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu as Deputy Director of the Gifu Factory of Kawakou.

Note that case lid has additional column 遞信省 - Ministry of Communications and instead of 航空勤勞章 (Aviation Diligence Badge) we see 航空有功章 (Aviation Meritorious Badge). Badge and case belong to 1941-1943 time period.​

 

Cased specimen that was found together with Nakajima Aircraft Company badge https://asiamedals.info/threads/nak...-badges-hat-badges-and-other-artifacts.19087/

K2145

Badge.

 

Type 1941 badge "Aviation Meritorious Service Badge".

Enameled (exactly like it described in 1941 regulation) full cased set.

Full size and miniature badges.

Full size badge.

Silver, gilt, enamel.
Size 42.5 mm.
Weight 46 g.

Miniature badge.

Silver, gilt, enamel.
Size 25 mm.
Weight 6.8 g.

Full size badge marked 純銀- pure silver on reverse and inscribed

航空有功章 - Aviation Meritorious Service Badge

 

Original cases.

航空有功章 - Aviation Meritorious Service Badge

遞信省 - Ministry of Communications

航空有功章 - Aviation Meritorious Service Badge

遞信省 - Ministry of Communications

Case for the miniature badge bears additional inscription

略章 - Reduced/Abbreviated Badge.

 

Type 1943 badge "Aviation Diligence Badge" with a special case for the Governor-General of Korea.

Original pin was lost.

Case lid

航空勤勞章 - Aviation Diligence Badge

朝鮮總督府 - Governor-General of Chōsen