Original German WWII Award, Insignia, Tinnie, and Stickpin Grouping with Minesweeper and DRL Sports Badges - 19 Items

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German 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 SIX different WWII awards, in addition to a tinnie and some insignia.

This lovely set includes:

- One German WWII Kriegsmarine Minesweeper War Badge. This still has much of the silver wash on the "splash", while the "sea" is tarnished, and the gold wash on the wreath is well retained as well. The back is marked on the back with:

FEC. OTTO PLACZEK BERLIN
AUSF. SCHWERIN-BERLIN

"Ausf." is short for Ausführung, meaning "execution" or "made by", so this is example was made by C. Schwerin & Sohn of Berlin, a known maker of this badge. "FEC" is short for "FECIT", Latin for "He Made it", indicating that Otto Placzek is the designer of the badge. The back of the badge still retains the barrel hinge, however the pin and catch are both missing.

- One German WWII RAD Labor Corps 15 Year Silver Long Service Award with ribbon. As with many other paramilitary organizations in NSDAP Germany, the RAD issued its own long service awards, with bronze for 10, silver for 15, and gold for 25 years. They came with a blue ribbon, which had a Reichsadler eagle on the ribbon matching the color of the award. This example has a lovely aged patina, and is fully intact.

- One German WWII DRL Bronze Grade Sports Badge. In very good condition with a lovely patina, maker marked on the back by WERNSTEIN JENA. The attachment pin and hook on the back are fully functional.

- One German Pre WWII 1937 REICHSPARTEITAG Nuremberg Ralley tinnie, composition material style. It is maker marked on the back.

- One German Pre WWII OKT.1938 BRAUNKHOLE-BENZIN AG aluminum tinnie. Braunkohle -Benzin AG ( Brabag, also BRABAG ) was a German stock corporation founded in 1934 as a "compulsory association of the German lignite industry", with heavy support from the NSDAP

- One Small Pre German WWII 1935 HJ National Youth Association Donation tinnie. It is maker marked on the back.

- One PAIR (Left and Right) of German WWII Aluminum Badges for a Heer Army DAK Afrikakorps Sun Helmet. They look to be totally unissued, with no bending to the prongs on the back. They still retain most of the original paint, and both are maker marked with an interlocking PuC in a diamond, for maker Paulmann & Crone of Lüdenscheid.

- One German WWII Heer Army Shoulder strap slider, with a chain stitched white 269, most likely for the 269th Infantry Regiment.

- One German WWII Heer Army Officer Left Side Bullion embroidered Litzen collar tab, with white stripes for Infantry.

- One German WWII Kriegsmarine Navy Fernschreiber Telex Operator Embroidered Enlisted Ratings Badge, white uniform version. This features a white backing with navy blue embroidered insignia. The design shows crossed lightning bolts, with no other devices.

- One German WWII Kriegsmarine Navy Funker Radioman Embroidered Enlisted Ratings Badge, white uniform version. This features a white backing with navy blue embroidered insignia. The design shows a single large lightning bolt.

- One German WWII Kriegsmarine Navy Enlisted Stabsgefreiter Seaman 1st class Sleeve chevron.

There are also SIX different German WWII Era stickpins, which include a DRL Sports Badge stickin, a DAF Labor Front stickpin, an Infantry Assault Badge stickpin, a General Assault Badge stickpin, a RAD Arbeits Dank Donation Enamel stickpin, and an Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914 stickpin.

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.

The German Sports Badge, also known as the "German National Sports Badge" was first created in the year 1913 and is one of the oldest awards of Germany still in active circulation. The badge has an oak leaf wreath around the overlapping letters DRA, standing for Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen (German National Committee for Physical Education). At first the German Sports Badge was only issued to men for the completion of various physical tests. In 1921 it was renamed to Deutsches Turn- und Sportabzeichen and women were eligible as well.

After the NSDAP takeover in 1933, the design of the badge remained basically the same but a swas was added at its base. Since 1935, the letters "DRL" (Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen) replaced the letters "DRA". On 1 July 1937 the award was renamed to Deutsche Reichsauszeichnung für Leibesübungen and obtained the status as an official recognised decoration of the state. In 1938, the Austrian Sports Badge was incorporated in the German Sports badge. The last tests for the Deutsche Reichsauszeichnung für Leibesübungen were held in 1944.