BACKGROUND: The Dutch, NSB, Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging, (National Socialist Movement), founded on December 13TH 1931 by Anton Mussert, was a nationalistic Dutch fascist political party that had based itself on the German NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party). After the German occupation of Holland in May 1940 the NSB readily collaborated with them and made minor political gains by absorbing smaller Dutch fascist political groups. On December 14TH 1941 the Germans officially authorized the NSB as the only legal political party in Holland and all other political parties were forced to merge with the NSB or disband. The NSB had their own version of the German SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), entitled, WA, Weer Afdeelingen, (Defence Sections), that had originally been formed in November 1932, but were dis-banded in December 1935 when the Dutch government prohibited political militia/para-military type organizations. On May 15TH 1940, a day after the Dutch surrender to the Germans, the WA was re-activated. Like the German SA the Dutch WA had different branches of service which included the Weer Afdeelingen Gemotoriseerde, (Motorized Defence Section), which was responsible for training personnel to drive assorted motor vehicles and supply transportation to all NSB affiliated organizations. Shortly after Holland’s occupation the German NSKK, National Sozialistisches Kraftfahr Korps, (National Socialist Motor Corps), began to actively recruit Dutch personnel from the Motorized WA and in April 1941 the NSB’s, daily, Nationale Dagblad, (National Newspaper), printed a request for two hundred Motorized WA personnel between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, who held a valid driver’s licence, to volunteer for service in the German NSKK. To provide additional training to these new recruits the NSKK established the Motorschule Nederland, (Netherlands/Dutch Motor School), curiously in Limburg Belgium. The Germans, organized some of the volunteer Motorized WA personnel to form the Alarmdienst, (Emergency Service), to provide transportation for German troops within Holland and another group of volunteers were assigned to the KTD, Kraftfahrt Transport Dienst, (Motor Transport Service), which were tasked with providing transport for personnel to work on German military installations. In late April/early May 1942 the KTD, was re-designated as the KuK, Kraftfahrzeug Überführungs Kommando, (Motorized Transportation Commando). On January 12TH 1943 the Alarmdienst, was re-designated as Transportactie, (Transport Action), and were permitted to exchange their black NSB/WA uniforms for German field-grey uniforms in a act of appreciation, of their service, by the Germans. In August 1944 the Motorized WA was re-designated as the NSMK, Nationaal Socialistische Motor Korps, (National Socialist Motor Corps). Personnel from all three of these Dutch motor transport organizations also volunteered for service with the German NSKK Gruppe Luftwaffe, (Air-{Weapons} Force Group), the NSKK Staffel WBN, Wehrmacht Befehlshaber Niederlande, (Armed Forces Commander in Chief Netherlands), and the NSKK Todt/Speer, (Named in honor of the German construction engineers and Ministers of Munitions & Armaments, Dr. Fritz Todt, and Albert Speer). The largest group of Dutch transportation personnel served with the NSKK Gruppe Luftwaffe, possibly due to the fact that the Wehrmacht Befehlshaber Niederlande, (Armed Forces Commander in Chief of the Netherlands), was General der Flieger Friedrich Christiansen. Eventually all the Dutch transportation personnel would be absorbed into their German counter-parts and wore the appropriate uniforms according to their assignments. With the worsening war situation many of the Dutch NSKK volunteers were assigned to service on the Russian front. In all there were between eight and nine thousand Dutch volunteers serving with the NSKK and about three hundred were killed while with the German 6TH Army in the battle of Stalingrad. For those Dutch NSKK volunteers who served on the Russian front a special Eastern Front Honor Badge was instituted. While researching the award no institution date, grades of the award or criteria for bestowal was found so any information regarding it would be greatly appreciated. A photographic example of this type of award can be seen in J.R. Angolia & D. Littlejohn’s book, Uniforms, Organization & History, (of the), NSKK/NSFK, on page, 333. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 1 7/8", (4.7 cm), diameter, die struck, tombac construction badge with a bronze wash, is in the form of a vehicle tire, with embossed and recessed "treads" to the outer edge and a banner to the top edge with the embossed script, "Trouw", (Loyalty). The "hub" of the tire features a central, embossed, vertical Wolfsangle, (The emblem of the Dutch WA), flanked by an embossed, German style helmet and a vertical, downward pointing, broadsword, all superimposed on four, evenly spaced, embossed spokes with a subtly texture background field. The badge retains about 40% of it’s age darkened bronze wash. The reverse of the badge is a mirror image of the obverse and the heavy soldered catch is intact, the pin is broken. The badge has no visible manufacturer’s markings. The badge was only awarded to Dutchmen, who served within the NSKK Gruppe Luftwaffe and in the Motor-WA. The badge was instituted in November 1943, and in three different classes: bronze, silver and gold. Scarce.

GRADE *** 1/2                             PRICE $479.00