Luftwaffe WWII Cuff Title ‘Udet’ from Gerhard Thyben

Description

From Jerry Crandall’s personal Military collection;

Luftwaffe WWII Cuff Title ‘Udet’ from Gerhard Thyben, original

Here is what AI states about this piece:

This artifact is a presentation piece gifted to the prominent American aviation historian and artist Jerry Crandall and his wife Judy by the decorated WWII Luftwaffe fighter ace Gerhard “Gerd” Thyben and his wife Magda. It features an authentic “Jagdgeschwader Udet” cuff title (Ärmelband) from Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) mounted onto a custom-bordered leather backing.

• Gerhard “Gerd” Thyben (1922–2006): A prominent German fighter pilot credited with 157 aerial victories over the course of 385 combat missions. As noted in his handwritten message, he began his operational career in January 1943 when he was posted to the 7th Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 (7./JG 3), where he learned the basics of frontline air combat before later achieving major success with Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54). 
• Jerry Crandall (1935–2022): A widely celebrated American aviation artist, historian, author, and founder of Eagle Editions. Crandall spent decades locating, interviewing, and documenting the first-hand accounts of surviving wartime pilots to preserve accurate technical and historical records of WWII aviation.