Shortly after the unveiling of the Luftwaffe in March 1935 a modified dagger was adopted for wear by Luftwaffe Officer’s and EM/NCO’s who held a valid pilots license. Originally the early daggers were produced utilizing nickel/silver fittings until 1936 when the early fittings were replaced with polished natural aluminum fittings. In 1937 the pattern of the dagger was changed.

This dagger meas. approx. 19.25 inches long in overall length. The blade shape is a double-edged stiletto with a flat central plane. Length of the blade is approx. 12.00 inches. The surface is plated nickel or silver with very light scattered surface spotting. Ricasso is marked “ALCOSA, SOLINGEN” with a measuring scale logo. The original blue leather washer is intact.

The dagger has a cast, nickel or silver plated alloy cross guard and pommel. The cross guard is in the form of extended, horizontal, down swept, stylized wings with a raised, central, circular panel with a sun wheel type swastika. The formed wooden grip is wrapped in blue Moroccan leather with dual twisted nickel or silver plated wire wrap flanked by a single strand of straight wire. The circular pommel also has a sun wheel type swastika to each side. All metal surfaces on the hilt are a dull gray.

The dagger comes with its original, blue Moroccan leather wrapped scabbard with three alloy fittings that have a matching patina. Finial is missing one of the two anchor screws. Attached to the top and center fittings is a hanger made of alloy rings attached to a plated alloy friction clip.

Ron Tunison (1947 – 2013) was born in Richmond Hill, N.Y., and was a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. He was a scholarship student at the NYC National Academy where he continued his sculpting studies. He went on to become an internationally acclaimed sculptor of nine heroic bronze monuments: "General W. Crawford," near Little Round Top on the Gettysburg Battlefield, the “Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial" on Steinwehr Ave., the bas-relief "Delaware State Memorial" on Taneytown Road, and "The Gettysburg Civil War Women's Memorial" at Evergreen Cemetery. On the Antietam National Battlefield is Tunison's "Irish Brigade Monument." "The Bivouac" is at the entrance to the Civil War Soldier's Museum at Pamplin Historical Park near Petersburg, Va. "The Delaware Continentals" heroic size bronze of three advancing Revolutionary War soldiers stands atop a twenty-five-foot granite pedestal in front of Legislative Hall at Dover, Delaware. At Ringgold Gap in Atlanta, Ga., is Ron's life-size General Patrick Cleburne. Dedication ceremonies for “General John Barry, U.S. Naval Commander”, took place May 10th, 2014 at U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.  Ron was the entrepreneur behind his own company Historical Sculptures, where he sculpted smaller statues.  [sr]

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