Condor Legion Wound Badge – 1st Pattern Black Grade

Product Description: This Condor Legion Wound Badge is a desirable piece, with appealing, “been there” character. This is the first pattern of the WWII-era Wound Badge, instituted in 1936 and used by the Legion Condor in the Spanish Civil War, and elsewhere very early in WWII before being replaced by the much more common second pattern badge in 1939. This is a hollow-backed badge, made of stamped Tombak sheet metal, and is a Black grade. On the obverse, most of the original black painted finish is worn away, with only traces of the paint remaining in the recesses of the design. The bare Tombak has pleasant, mellow age toning, which combined with the traces of finish gives this a wonderful, old look. The metal itself shows only slight wear. The reverse of this  Condor Legion Wound Badge in Black has an uncleaned, old patina, and is complete. The hardware setup consists of a soldered block hinge, and a round wire pin and catch. The catch shows some evidence of having been bent in the past, likely to fasten it securely on the uniform on which it was worn. There is no maker mark, which is typical for these. This first pattern Black Wound Badge is an attractive example of a scarce badge, in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The German Wound Badge was instituted during the First World War to recognize those wounded in the conflict. It was designed using a World War One style Imperial German helmet as the main motif. The helmet was set on top two crossed swords against a pebbled background and surrounded by a laurel leaves wreath.

During the Spanish Civil War, the Third Reich reinstated the Wound Badge for a short period to honor those who were wounded during the conflict from 1936 to 1939. These German units participating in the assistance of the Spanish Fascists were deemed the “Condor Legion”. The pattern of the World War One Wound Badge was again used, except this time with a raised swastika on the center of the World War One era helmet.

At the outbreak of war in September 1939 with Poland, Adolf Hitler once again reinstated the Wound Badge Award. Again, the pattern of the badge was similar to that of the earlier style except the new design was freshened up a bit by using an M35 pattern German helmet and a slightly softer looking wreath. This pattern was used until the end of the war in 1945. It is impossible to know the exact numbers of wound badges awarded during the course of the Second World War due to the vast scale and countless individuals who were wounded or killed in the conflict.

The Wound Badge Awards came in three different types of grades representing the amount, or severity, of wounds received. The first grade, the Black Wound Badge was awarded for 1 to 2 wounds received in combat. The Silver Grade was awarded for 3 to 4 wounds, and finally the Gold Grade for 5 or more wounds, total disability, or death.

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