BACKGROUND: The wound badge was originally established on March 3RD 1918 by King Wilhelm II to recognize the sacrifice of those wounded during WWI. The badge was instituted in three classes, black, silver and gold, with the class bestowed reflecting the number or severity of the wounds received. With the outbreak of WWII, on September 1ST 1939, Hitler re-instituted a slightly modified version of the badge. The badge was awarded to both military and uniformed non-military personnel and later to civilian personnel who received wounds as a result of enemy actions. The black wound badge was the lowest of the three classes and was awarded for one or two wounds.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 1939 pattern, stamped magnetic (some pitting) sheet metal, hollow backed award with a black wash. The badge is in the form of a vertical oval with an embossed M35 pattern helmet with high relief, canted, swastika to the center, superimposed over crossed swords on a pebbled base field all encompassed by a vertically oval laurel leaf wreath. The reverse of the badge is a mirror image of the obverse. The reverse has the standard thin round vertical pin, hinge and catch all intact. "