Gold Wound Badge with Award Document

Product Description: A beautiful and complete Gold Wound Badge with Award Document. The Gold Wound Badge is made of zinc, and is finished with a gold wash. Approximately 85% of the gold wash is remaining, which is more than most of these later war zinc examples. The rear of the badge features an integral cast in hinge and catch, with a gilded steel pin. A raised “26” mark, for the firm “B.H. Mayer”, can be seen just under the catch. The document is in excellent condition. The document states the award was given on the 6th of January to an Obergefreiter during his time recovering in Leipzig. It leads one to realize this man most likely extremely lucky to be alive, and that chances are he lost a limb, or worse, for the award to have been given at a hospital in Germany. This is a beautiful and complete Gold Wound Badge with Award Document set.

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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