Infantry Assault Badge in Silver – C.W.

Product Description: This Infantry Assault Badge in Silver is a nice piece, by a less commonly seen maker. It’s made of zinc. The obverse shows wear, and retains about 40 percent of the original silver finish, mostly in the recesses of the design. There is some typical age toning and patina, and lots of detail remaining. The back of this Infantry Assault Badge in Silver is flat and smooth. It’s maker marked under the hinge with the initials “C.W.” indicating manufacture by the firm of Carl Wild in Hamburg. The sheet metal hinge and functional round wire pin retain original silver finish. The hinge is in place with the original solder, but the catch has been rather crudely repaired. The repair shows obvious age, with patina to the new catch and solder; it’s likely this was repaired by or for the original recipient. This maker marked Infantry Assault Badge in Silver has a “been there” look and unique character. The condition is excellent.

Historical Description: The Infantry Assault Badge (Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen) was instituted on December 20, 1939, by German Army commander Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch. The design of the badge featured the iconic K98 rifle, the standard German Infantry weapon of WWII, surrounded by oak leaves and surmounted by a German Army eagle and swastika emblem. The creation of this design has been attributed to the C.E. Juncker firm in Berlin. The badge could be awarded to members of the Heer and SS-VT (later the Waffen-SS) who participate in ground combat as infantry. To earn this award, soldiers had to participate in three or more assaults, counterattacks, or reconnaissance missions, or to have participated in hand to hand combat in an assault, or to have participated in three days of reestablishing combat positions. These actions had to take place on separate days to meet the award criteria. On June 1, 1940, a Bronze grade of this award was instituted, for motorized infantry. The criteria for the award were the same, only for motorized units. The earliest versions of the Infantry Assault Badge were made of Tombak or other high-quality alloys, with a plated finish. Later production awards were generally zinc alloy, with a bronze or silver wash that often faded with wear and time.

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