Heer Infantry Shooting Lanyard – Grade 1

Product Description: This Heer Infantry Shooting Lanyard – Type II Grade 1 is an exceptional and highly desirable example of German military marksmanship awards from World War II. This particular piece represents the Type II variant, introduced later in the award’s history, showcasing refined craftsmanship and textbook design. The emblem is strikingly crisp with no evidence of wear, highlighting the detailed Wehrmacht eagle and crossed rifles motif with remarkable clarity. Crafted from high-quality wire braid, the lanyard retains its full original luster, free from fraying or damage, and only exhibits the slightest trace of age toning, which adds to its authentic vintage appeal.

The loops designed to affix the lanyard securely to a soldier’s uniform remain fully intact, attesting to its excellent preservation. On the reverse side, the original wool backing, meant to protect the braided cord when worn, is present and in outstanding condition. This backing features the typical German Army field gray wool, still firmly held in place with the original hand stitching, a testament to the meticulous attention to detail characteristic of WWII-era German military awards.

Historical Description: Marksmanship was a highly valued skill in the militaristic culture of the Third Reich. For soldiers, of course, this skill was taught and trained, and soldiers were expected to achieve marksmanship proficiency. Members of paramilitary organizations such as the Hitler Youth also trained with the use of weapons, and of course there were civilian shooting clubs that held events and competitions as well. There was a myriad of different kinds of marksmanship awards that were used to recognize this skill. In the SS, and early in the German Wehrmacht, sleeve insignia was used in different patterns to display different levels of rifle qualification. Later, the Heer and Luftwaffe used special lanyards for this purpose. Heer and Luftwaffe lanyards used distinctive emblem patterns, as did the Panzer branch of the Heer. The lanyards were produced in many different grades for which a soldier could qualify and were not worn on the field uniform. Because of this, issue of these lanyards was discontinued around the start of WWII. Civilian and paramilitary groups had their own wide array of different marksmanship awards, ranging from pins and badges to non-portable medals and award plaques.

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