Condition: Good
Sold
Product Description: This Wound Badge Box is a type of award packaging that is not common to find loose. It is made of card stock. The exterior is covered with a thin maroon leatherette material. The interior is burgundy colored, with a flocked card stock insert with a cutout to accept the hardware of a Wound Badge. A bit of wear to the inside of the lid shows that this box once did house a badge. The colors of this box remain strong throughout. This box shows heavy wear. The side panels on the lid have separated, and one is still present, though detached; the other is missing. The lid is also separated from the bottom of the box. It would be possible to carefully restore this box but we have chosen to leave it as is. The base of the box still displays a wound badge nicely. The condition of this scarce Wound Badge Box rates as good.
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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