The history of the German Wound Badge 1918
(Verwundetenabzeichen)

Wound Badge History

Germany was the last belligerent country to create a distinction for war wounded! After Italy on May 21, 1916, Great Britain on September 12, 1916, France on December 11, 1916, and Austria on August 12, 1917; Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered the creation of the "Verwundeten-Abzeichen" on 3. March 1918, an order drafted in an Allerhöchsste Kabinetts Ordre (AKO), included in the Armee Verordnungsblatt on March 9, 1918, the application of which will be effective from April 1, 1918 , with retroactive effect!

Essentially it was established as a decoration by Kaiser Wilhelm II to honor the German soldiers that had served faithful and paid in blood the terrible price of war. The Wound Badge would be denoted into three specific colors with each color having prerequisites (determined by the number of wounds received) to earning each one.

It should be noted that as of the 3rd of June 1918, Bavaria declared the Wound Badge as a award and not a decoration. Meanwhile it was eventually extended to colonial troops on 8th of July 1918, then to other lands and kingdoms during 1918.

Post War

The Wound Badges of the First World War were for the most part only awarded after the end of the war on application. Applications had to be submitted to the military authorities up until 1933. When the National Socialists came to power, the city pension offices were responsible for the applications. The applicant required proof of the wound with military certification.

Bavarian machine-gunner wearing German Wound Badge, 3rd Class, on left breast below medals. Available from drakegoodman via Flickr

Requirements

All recorded injuries was subject to a well-defined criteria. They recognized all wounds, external or internal, by the influence, direct or indirect, of the means of combat. The following are also considered as injuries: all damage to the health, on the ground or outside the war zone, of persons belonging to the means made available to the army (transport, etc.), provided that such attacks are caused by the special risks of war.
Multiple (light) wounds only count once, unless the wounds were caused in multiple separate combats.

Recklessness or injuries due to the handling of one's own weapons was excluded.

As mentioned previously, each color of the wound badge had prerequisites to earning one:

BLACK/SCHWARZ - Awarded for being wounded twice by enemy action. Badge was painted or blackened black metal, awarded with document and paper bag, but without pension.

SILVER/SILBER - Awarded for being wounded 3-4 times, losing a foot, hand, or eye from enemy action. "Silver" badge, awarded with document and paper bag, with pension.

GOLD/GOLD - Awarded for being wounded 5 times, becoming blind, being brain damaged, or losing your manhood from enemy action. Badge was painted “gold”, gilded or even gold-plated for certain wealthy “customers”.

Army Variations

Standard:

The badge for the wounded is made of stamped sheet metal where the pin fastening system is welded on the back. This decoration represents a German model 1916 helmet called "Stahlhelm" positioned on two intersecting swords, all surrounded by a laurel wreath.

There is a wide variety of badges for the wounded:

Difference in size (see the catalogs of the time and their many miniatures).
Multitude of materials used (ferrous metal called "Bunt metal" , solid silver "800"), diversity of graphics (different helmet graphics)
Variant of closure systems (different pins, “Schraubscheibe” ferrules )

It also sometimes happens to meet models of badges marked at the level of their pin, see at the back even at the level of the helmet or the base of the attachment system, we then find the famous DRGM, the punch "800" related to the quality of the metal or even markings such as initials that are related to the manufacturer.

'Cutout' Model

Alongside the official "full" model, there appeared many "private" models executed by different jewelers, including the highly prized "Cutout" model called " Durchbrochene Ausführung" , where the backing behind the helmet and swords were cut out.

Some collectors have long thought that this badge model was a model for officers, which is not correct since they would not have enough money to get one; others claim that they were attributed to disciplinary or elite troops like the stormtroopers, which is also false!

Wound Badges, Andrew S. Collection

All the Rest...
As noted above, the jewelers during and after the Great War was able to devise many developments to celebrate the veterans that earned these badges. Miniatures, lapel pins, pendants, buttonholes, and various other trinkets were devised as a reminder for all to see and know the sacrifice these men made for their fatherland.

In addition, a lot of souvenir charms with the effigy of the insignia of the wounded were born. Thus, in addition to the official versions that we were able to process, the insignia of the wounded could be purchased commercially in many fancy forms ranging from the ring, to the bracelet, etc.

Naval Variations

On 24th of June 1918, Wilhelm II donated a similar naval wounded badge for the members of the Imperial Navy, which differed externally in the depicted image. This model for the troops of the Imperial Navy has an anchor and a chain replacing the laurels and the helmet, the swords as for them are preserved.The same three levels as the army were also assigned here. The award was only given for wounded in naval combat.