Original German WWI - WWII Award and Tinnie Grouping with Hindenburg Cross, Western Wall Medal, and More - 26 Items

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German WWI - WWII Awards and other items, which was brought back from the European theater by a USGI after the war was concluded. Many solders traded these on the way back, and would end up with a pocket full of various different collectible items, and this set represents the typical "haul" one might have come back with. It includes both WWI and WWII awards, as well as a large number of tinnie event badges.

This lovely set includes:

- One Imperial German Württemberg Long Service Decoration III Class - 9 Years. This is missing the red and blue ribbon, but is otherwise in very good condition.

- One Pre-WWII German WWI Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (Hindenburg Cross) Medal with Swords (for Combat). This example is in very good condition, still a nice bronze color, and is marked on the back with G17. The ribbon is unfortunately missing.

- One Imperial German WWI Two Award Ribbon Bar. The two awards represented are the Württemberg Military Merit Medal (black and yellow) and the Württemberg Long Service Decoration (red and light blue).

- One German WWII Western Wall / Siegfried Line Metal with Ribbon. The award has a lovely lightly aged patina on the brass medal, and the ribbon has a great lightly used look.

There are also 22 Tinnie Event badges and similar, including a 1.MAI 1938 May Day tinnie, a Deutsches Jugendfeſt 1936 National Youth Festival tinnie, an RLB Luftschutz-Merbung (Air Raid Warning) tinnie, a small plastic cavalry parade standard, and a small booklet. Definitely some great potential for identification and translation research!

A wonderful totally genuine grouping perfect for the German Medal and Insignia collector. Ready to research and display!

More information on some of the awards in this set:

"Tinnies" (Veranstaltungsabzeichen - Event Badges) are small commemorative pins or medals, acquired when one attended a specific event held in Germany. They were often made of thin stamped metal, bakelite, or even pressed paper. Many of these were given out as part of the WHW (Winterhilfswerk - Winter Help Work) Organization, which often involved Germans traveling quite a bit to help out the war effort. Many others were given for the annual Reichsparteitag (Reich Party Congress), otherwise known as the Nuremberg Rallies.

Kingdom of Württemberg Long Service Decoration III Class - 9 Years
Known in German as the Dienstauszeichnung III. Klasse für 9 Dienstjahre, this is the later war version in blacked steel, for manufacturer from 1917 to 1921. The medal was instituted by King Wilhelm II on 19 July 1913 by amendment to the award in buckle form (Schnalle) created on 16 March 1874. It was intended to recognize the completion of 9 years’ exemplary service in the Württemberg army. The medal was produced in nickel silver (Neusilber) until 1917 and in blackened iron from 1917 until its suppression in 1921.

Hindenburg Cross with Crossed Swords (for combat):
The Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (German: Das Ehrenkreuz des Weltkriegs 1914/1918), commonly, but incorrectly, known as the Hindenburg Cross was established by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, President of the German Republic, by an order dated 13 July 1934, to commemorate the distinguished deeds of the German people during the First World War. This was Germany's first official service medal for soldiers of Imperial Germany who had taken part in the war, and where they had since died it was also awarded to their surviving next-of-kin. Shortly after its issuance, the government of NSDAP Germany declared the award as the only official service decoration of the First World War and further forbid the continued wearing of German Free Corps awards on any military or paramilitary uniform of a state or NSDAP Party organization.

The West Wall Medal (Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen) was a decoration of NSDAP Germany. It was instituted on 2 August 1939 and was given to those who designed and built the fortifications on Germany's western borders, known as the Westwall or, in English, the Siegfried Line, between 15 June 1938 to 31 March 1939. On 13 November 1939 eligibility was extended to include servicemen of the Wehrmacht who served on the Westwall for at least ten weeks. In all 622,064 medals were awarded until 31 January 1941, when awards of the medal ceased. This early version was made of solid bronze. The back has the statement FÜR ARBEIT ZUM SCHUTZE DEUTSCHLANDS - "For Work to Protect Germany."