BACKGROUND: The wound badge was originally established on March 3RD 1918 by King Wilhelm II to recognise the sacrifice of those wounded during WWI. The badge was instituted in three classes, of black, silver and gold with the class bestowed reflecting the number or severity of the wounds received. On May 22ND 1939 Adolf Hitler re-instituted a slightly modified version of the wound badge with the addition of a swastika to the WWI pattern badge for award to German volunteers who had been wounded supporting the Spanish Nationalist Falangist Generalissimo Francisco Franco against the communist allied Republican Loyalist party in the Spanish Civil War. (July 1936-March 1939). With the outbreak of WWII, on September 1ST 1939, Hitler once again re-instituted another slightly modified version of the wound badge by altering the WWI pattern helmet on the badge to the newly designed M35 style helmet. The badge was awarded to both military and uniformed non-military personnel and later, (March 1943), to civilian personnel who received wounds as a result of enemy actions. The silver wound badge was awarded for three or four wounds, or if the wound was very severe, ie: loss of limb, blindness, etc..

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 1939 pattern, injection molded zinc construction, solid backed badge with a silver wash. The badge is in the form of an embossed, vertically oval, laurel leaf wreath encompassing an embossed profile of a M35 pattern helmet with a high relief, canted, swastika to the center, superimposed over crossed swords on a pebbled base field. The badge only retains hints of its original silver wash and has mostly reverted to the flat, matte grey of the base alloy. The plain, solid reverse has an integral, molded, hinge, a thin, round, vertical pin and an integral, molded, catch all intact. Badge comes complete with its original issue envelope with black printed Gothic script to obverse, "Verwundeten=Abzeichen Silber". Triangular top flap fits into horizontal slash on reverse. Reverse has black printed, Gothic script, manufacturer's name, "Steinhauer & Lück of Lüdenscheid". Envelope still contains the original tissue wrap for the award.