Portable commemorative badge of the Wehrmacht

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The term portable commemorative badge of the Wehrmacht refers to an internally created award that was created by individual divisions or regiments, usually by their superiors, in order to strengthen the feeling of togetherness and to remind people of battles that have been won.

Background to the creation of such commemorative badges

During the Second World War , a not insignificant number of individual units of the Wehrmacht created wearable commemorative badges, which were not regarded as official awards of the Wehrmacht. The High Command of the Wehrmacht looked for this reason also depends on creating appropriate (written) rules that if they had been adopted, a confusing barrage of creation of such awards would have triggered the part of the troops.

On the other hand, the Army High Command did not categorically prohibit the creation of such badges. This is how the first commemorative badges were created at the beginning of 1940.

List of wearable commemorative badges of the Wehrmacht

designation Creation date Background information Award numbers Troops image
Medal (watch pendant) in memory of the mission in the Caucasus ( Mountain Infantry Regiment 98 ) August 1942 In memory of the heavy fighting in the Caucasus , the 98 Mountain Regiment created this "medal", which was worn as a watch pendant on a link chain. The pendant was made of zinc and had a diameter of approx. 31 mm. On its obverse it shows an edelweiss and the mountains of the Caucasus with the Elbrus. The inscription: KAUKASUSEINSÄTZE can be read above the mountain tops . At the bottom the regimental number of the unit can be read in legend : 13./GEB.JG.RGT, 98 . The back shows the place names in the middle, which are supposed to remind of the battles of the named unit. These are embossed in 6 lines and are called: Kluchorpass / Klitschtal / Elbruspass / Gunalkatal / Schemacho / 1942 . unknown army
Medal in memory of the deployment in the Caucasus in 1942 RGT 98.jpg
Medal commemorating the deployment in the Caucasus in 1942 (Mountain News Department 54) August 1942 The medal, made of zinc , was created by the "Uller" department, which belonged to the 54th Mountain News Department, as a commemorative medal . It was intended to remind of the heavy fighting in the Caucasus region and the ascent of Elbrus by the "Uller" division. unknown army
Medal in memory of the deployment in the Caucasus 1942.jpg
Medal to commemorate the deployment in the Balkans 1943–1944 (Mountain News Department 54) Late autumn 1944 The medal, made of zinc , was supposed to commemorate the heavy fighting of the division in the Balkans (see Baltic Operation ). Due to the war situation in 1944/1945, the medal was no longer used. However, a trial minting took place. unknown army
Commemorative medal of the Reserve Flak Headlight Division 269 November 1943 In November 1943, the then head of this department, Major of the Reserve Holtfort, had the medal produced in Bremen and on December 24, 1943, ceremoniously presented it to all members of his department. The medal itself was also made of zinc , tinted bronze and had a diameter of approx. 33.5 mm. The medal was worn on a kind of beer tip with a small link chain within the flak department. approx. 50-100 pieces air force
Flak headlights department 269.jpg
Medal in memory of the Arctic Ocean Front 1942–1943 Spring 1944 The medal was commissioned by an unknown mountain troop unit. It consists mostly of blackened war metal ( non-ferrous metal ) and has a diameter of approx. 33.5 mm. See also the Lapland War . unknown army
Medal Eismeerfront.jpg
Medal of the Reserve Air Blocking Division 207 in memory of the 1940 Christmas Christmas party December 24, 1940 The air lock department 207 was in the winter of 1941 with three batteries near Bad Saarow . The medal was intended to strengthen the feeling of togetherness among the soldiers within the department and was given to all members of the department by the commander on December 24, 1941. The medal itself was made of zinc , tinted silver and had a diameter of approx. 30 mm. The medal was not worn on a ribbon, but on a kind of beer tip . approx. 50-100 pieces air force
Medal of the Reserve Air Barrier Department 207 in memory of War Christmas 1940.jpg
Reserve Air Lock Division Medal 2-101 December 24, 1941 War Christmas 1941 approx. 50-100 pieces air force
Airlock Department.jpg

Others

Individual troop badges created internally were worn publicly by entire divisions, despite the prohibition. This led to a number of ambiguities and inconsistencies about their supposedly official foundations. The best examples of this are:

The shape and appearance of the individual commemorative badges were very different due to the different front-line units (air force units, army units and others). The most common shape was the round medal shape (but mostly without a ribbon) and the sleeve shield shape. But there was also a ring and plaque shape. Very different from the previous template, there were also individual exotic species, such as the Sardinian shield, which did not follow any of the known shapes.

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