Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a wonderful USGI bring back collection of German WWII awards, medals, pins, and other collectible items, with some from the Pre-WWII NSDAP period. Medals from Germany were very popular collectors items during the war and post war, and the items in this set were attached to a very nice yellow sash, most by their own pins, and a few with thread. One badge is missing its pinback, so it is attached by thread as well.

This really is a great set, and would make a great collection all on it's own!

As best we can tell, the set consists of the following:

• One German WWII Close Combat Clasp in Bronze by W.E. Peekhaus of Berlin, in very good condition. It still has some of the bronze wash on the back.
  
• One German WWII National Socialist State Veterans Association Gold Honor Badge for 50 Years Membership. Ehren Abzeichen Deutscher Reichskriegerbund Kyffhäuser - DRKB für 50 Jahre Mitgliedschaft
• One German Pre-WWII NSDAP Party Enamel Membership Badge Pin. This is an early example marked KREMHELMER / MÜNCHEN on the back, so it was made before RZM codes during the pre war period.
• One German WWII Iron Cross First Class 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse) with Vertical Pinback - EKI. Condition is very good. Unmarked.
• TWO German Pre-WWII HJ National Socialist Youth Organization Donation Pins, one dated 1935, one dated 1938.
• One German WWII Luftwaffe Gold Grade Front Flying Clasp for Bombers - 110 flown missions.
• One German Pre-WWII 1934 Berlin Flieger-Treffen (Aviator Meeting) Tinnie Pin.
• One German WWII Silver Grade General Assault Badge, Solid Back design. Traces of the silver wash are still present on the back. Unmarked.
• TWO German WWII Silver Grade Panzer Assault Tank Badges. Both are the Solid Back version, and one has a maker mark on the back.
• One German WWII 2nd Grade Wound Badge in Silver (Verwundetenabzeichen im Silber). It is a "solid back" version, and has lost most of the original silvering, which is very common. It has maker mark 107 on the back, for Carl Wild of Hamburg.
• One German WWII 1st Grade Wound Badge in Black (Verwundetenabzeichen im Schwarz). It is the desirable steel "hollow back" type, and has almost all of the original black paint present
• One German WWII Luftwaffe Anti-Aircraft Flak Battle Badge. This is missing the rear pin, so it is stitched to the sash.
• One German WWII Heer Army EM / NCO Steel Belt Buckle in very good condition, with much of the original paint present. It is painted in early war Apfelgrün (Apple Green), and no longer has the tab on the back with a maker mark. The front has the standard Wehrmacht Motto GOT MIT UNS ("God with us") surrounding a NSDAP Party Eagle. 

This is a great set of Military Awards and other items from WWII Era Germany. A great way to start your collection!

More information on some of these awards:

There is no more iconic German military award than the Iron Cross. The long history of this order began during the Napoleonic Wars. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia instituted the “Eisernes Kreuz” (Iron Cross) in March of 1813. The award criteria changed somewhat with time, but generally speaking, Iron Crosses could be awarded for individual acts of bravery, or for leadership achievements on the battlefield.

The final reinstitution of the cross came in 1939. For this version, the front of the core for both grades bore a swas and the date 1939. The oak leaves, crown and royal initials were removed from the reverse, with only the date 1813 remaining as a reminder of the legacy of this award. In WWII, hundreds of thousands of Iron Cross First Class awards were bestowed, and four and a half million Iron Cross Second Class awards. Iron Crosses were made by a large number of authorized manufacturers. Some variants of these awards were mass produced in huge numbers. Others were made in very limited quantities.

Please also note the edge seam for authentication, which is not present on reproductions. Iron crosses were commonly constructed from an iron core sandwiched in a surrounding two part silver frame, normally the seam of these two silver parts is visible around the edge of the cross as is seen on this fine example.

The German Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen) 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 swas on the center of the World War One era helmet.

At the outbreak of war in September 1939 with Poland, Adolf AH 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.