This Wound Badge in Silver is marked L22 for Glaser & Söhne of Dresden.
Archive for WW2
1939 Verwundetenabzeichen im Silber
Posted in Valour Medals with tags Germany (Third Reich), Heer, WW2 on April 21, 2013 by The DudeCommemorative Medal of the 1939-1945 War with Defence Passive Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags France, WW2 on April 21, 2013 by The Dude
This is a French medal awarded to all participants in recognised formations, fitted with a range of bars depending on the type and theatre of service. In this case the bar is “Defence Passive” for regular resistance fighters.
Medal Packets for Commonwealth WW2 Campaign Medals
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals, Paper with tags Cases & Award Packets, United Kingdom, WW2 on April 21, 2013 by The Dude
This illustrates the variety of packets that the Commonwealth campaign medals were distributed in.
Volkswagen KDF Factory Foundation Badge
Posted in Medallions & Badges with tags DAF, Germany (Third Reich), Kdfwagen, Volkswagen, WW2 on April 21, 2013 by The DudeThese badges are tough to find. There are a ton of fakes out there. The only helpful thing is that the fakes are made from various metals whereas the originals were made exclusively from a really light zinc alloy. Basically if you hold it and you can feel the weight, it’s a fake. There are some examples of common fakes here.
Newfoundland Volunteer Service Medal
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals, Rare Medals with tags Canada, Newfoundland, WW2 on April 20, 2013 by The DudeIn 1949 Newfoundland joined the Confederation of Canada. In 1981 the Government decided to create and award this medal to the servicemen of Newfoundland who served overseas and did not receive a service medal from any other country. They were not eligible for the Canadian medal since they were not a part of Canada during WW2. This is mine, one of 800 issued. I have one original and one reproduction.
Hitler’s Pocket Change
Posted in Money with tags Germany (Third Reich), WW2 on April 20, 2013 by The DudeYeah, it’s a 10 Reichspfennig aluminium coin. Someone stuck it in my Christmas card one year.
Award Case for The Kings Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals, Rare Medals with tags Cases & Award Packets, United Kingdom, WW2 on April 20, 2013 by The DudeThis case is for the woman’s issue of the Kings Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom. My medal is a men’s issue so it won’t fit this case. If anyone is looking for one of these then ping me. 
A Birchall Wartime Red Cross Medal
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals, Family Groups & Singles with tags Family Groups and Singles, Red Cross, United Kingdom, WW2 on April 20, 2013 by The DudeThis British Red Cross Proficiency Medal was issued to a Mrs. F. Birchall in 1940. I can’t make out the full name on the certificate because it is smudged. So it goes.
Arnold Submarine Tin Toy Box Post 1945
Posted in Toys with tags Germany (Post 1945), Tin Toys, WW2 on April 19, 2013 by The Dude
This is the box used to market the Arnold clockwork tin toy submarine similar to the one pictured above. The only difference between this toy and the 1938 model is that this one has a white star on the conning tower in place of the swastika on the earlier toy. This carton is in overall good condition with some cardboard loss on one of the ends.
5 Rupee Japanese Occupation Script for Burma
Posted in Money with tags Burma, Empire of Japan, WW2 on April 16, 2013 by The Dude
Japan, in an attempt to control black market activity as well as prices in the conquered territories in S.E.Asia, produced Occupation Script in various denominations and currencies. This is one of the notes produced for Burma. There was also a one and ten rupee note.
Denmark Pro Dania 1945 Medal with Case
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals, Rare Medals with tags Denmark, Mosquito, RAF, WW2 on April 16, 2013 by The Dude
This medal was instituted on 5 May 1946 and bestowed on some 3,100 persons who had rendered special services to Denmark during the German occupation. This particular example is marked to the surname Reynolds on the inside of the case. When I look this up in the Danish “Hof-og Statskalender” the only Reynolds awarded this medal is Squadron Leader Reggie Reynolds CO of 139 Squadron RAF flying Mosquitos.
Flying with his long time navigator Sismore on October 31 1944 Reynolds led a force of 24 Mosquitos in a raid on the Gestapo headquarters lodged in the buildings of Aarhus University in Denmark. The surprise attack, in misty weather, was delivered from low level and was a complete success. The head of the SS was killed, one of his officers writing: “A terrible disaster happened when our HQ was shot up by English airmen.” For their outstanding leadership, both Reynolds and Sismore received a Bar to their DFCs.
First up a photo of Sismore (left) and Reynolds (right) in front of a Mosquito aircraft.
British Propaganda Ashtray
Posted in Propaganda Items with tags David Low, Enoch Boulton, Fieldings, United Kingdom, WW2 on April 14, 2013 by The DudeThis is one of a series of faux chamber pots put out by Fieldings of Staffordshire, England early in 1939 to take advantage of the, then recent, “Violation of Poland” by Hitler’s armies. It is tiny in size, less than 5cm in diameter. On the front it says ‘Flip Your Ashes On Old Nasty” and “The Violation of Poland”. On the rear it says “Jerry No1”. Inside is a cartoon image of Hitler, probably by David Low, a prominent political cartoonist of the period. The design is by the outstanding designer Enoch Boulton.
WW2 Commemorative Cross
Posted in 1939-1945 Jubilee Medals with tags Romania, WW2 on August 1, 2011 by The Dude
This medal is a post-Communist Romanian commemorative medal issued to all those who served in the Romanian Armed Forces during WW2. This medal actually similar in design to that produced after the First World War and is obviously intended to mimic it.
Medal for the Crusade Against Communism
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Romania, WW2 on August 1, 2011 by The Dude
This medal was instituted by Royal Decree No. 1014 of April 1, 1942 and was awarded to military personelirrespective of rank as well as civilians who had distinguished themselves in the battles on the Eastern front. The medal could be awarded without bars, but the following bars were authorized: BUCOVINA, BASARABIA, DOBROGEA, NISTRU, ODESSA, BUG, NIPRU, AZOV, CREMEEA, DONET, MAREA NEAGARA.
The medal is dated 1941, and it was awarded through 1944. After 1944, Romania was occupied by the Soviets, and this award became obsolete. In fact if would have been very unhealthy to be found with this medal under the Communist regime that followed the War.
France & Germany Star with Atlantic Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeThis is my stock France and Germany Star, in this case only notable for the additional Atlantic Bar.
The France and Germany Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.
The medal was awarded for operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany from 6 June 1944 (D-Day) to 8 May 1945. The qualifying sea area is the North Sea south of a line from the Firth of Forth to Kristiansand (South), in the English Channel and in the Bay of Biscay east of longitude 6° west, provided such service was directly in support of land operations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany.
British uniform regulations stipulated that neither the Atlantic Star nor the Air Crew Europe Star would be awarded to a recipient of the France and Germany Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Atlantic Star was denoted by the award of the Atlantic clasp. A clasp for the Air Crew Europe Star was not issued as that Star could not be earned after 5 June 1944.
Army personnel who entered Austria may not qualify for this award, as their service is recognised by the grant of the Italy Star.
Africa Service Medal
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags South Africa, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The Dude
I have three examples of this medal. The first is impressed to 313971 M.L. Schultz, the second to 156658 B.S. Tinderholm (I have his War Medal also) and the third to 572811 J.Daitsh.
The Africa Service Medal was a South African campaign medal for service in World War II. It was instituted by King George VI, in his capacity as South African head of state, on 23 December 1943, and was awarded in addition to the British stars and medals issued for the war. The medal was granted to members of the Union Defence Forces, the South African Police, and the South African Railways Police.
To qualify for the medal, a member of those services must have volunteered for war service outside South Africa, and have served continuously for thirty days, or part-time for a total of eighteen hours, between 6 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. As the name indicates, the medal was originally intended for service in Africa, up to the defeat of the Axis forces in North Africa 1943, but it was later extended to cover service anywhere in the world, right up to the end of the war.
The medal is silver. The design was suggested by Field Marshal J.C. Smuts.
The obverse depicts a map of Africa, surrounded by the name of the medal in English, Africa Service Medal and Afrikaans, Afrikadiens-medalje. The reverse depicts a springbok prancing through the veld.
The ribbon is orange-red (the colour of the shoulder flash worn by South African volunteers), edged in green and gold (the “springbok” sporting colours, which were adopted as the defence force colours).
World War II ex-servicemen referred to the ribbon of this medal as “Ouma’s Garter”. “Ouma” (i.e. “Granny”) Smuts was the wife of the South African World War II prime minister, Field Marshal Jan Smuts. The nickname was a tribute to her unstinting efforts to supply the South African troops with home comforts.
WRVS Women’s Voluntary Service Long Service Medal
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags Civilian Medals, United Kingdom, WRVS, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeOn 16 May 1938, the British government set out the objectives of the Women’s Voluntary Service for Civil Defence. It was seen “as the enrolment of women for Air Raid Precaution Services of Local Authorities, to help to bring home to every household what air attack may mean, and to make known to every household [in the country] what it can do to protect itself and the community.”
In the words of the then Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, “as regards their civil defence functions, the Minister regards the Women’s Voluntary Service as occupying … much the same relationship as that of the women’s auxiliary services for the armed forces of the Crown.”
This medal was issued for 40 years of service to this organization.
The 1939-1945 War Medal with Mentioned in Dispatches Device
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals, Valour Medals with tags United Kingdom, Valour Medals, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeThis medal is identical to my other British cupro-nickel War Medals with the exception of the mentioned in dispatches device which is affixed correctly to the ribbon. The nickel medals were issued to British and other Commonwealth troops with the exception of the Canadians who received a silver one.
The Africa Star with North Africa 1942-1943 Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags North Africa, United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeThe Africa Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.
The Star was awarded for a minimum one day service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943.
The whole of the area between the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar is included, together with Malta, Abyssinia, Kenya, Sudan, The Solmalilands and Eritrea. The areas not bordering the Mediterranean only qualified for the Africa Star from 10 June 1940 to 27 November 1941.
Members of the Australian Imperial Force qualified for the Star for service in Syria from 8 June 1941 and 11 July 1941.
The example pictured includes the North Africa 1942-43 bar.
The Africa Star with 1st Army Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags North Africa, United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeRegulations only allow one clasp to be worn with the Star, being the first clasp the recipient qualified for.
- 8th Army
Awarded for service with the 8th Army between 23 October 1942 and 12 May 1943. An ‘8’ is worn on the ribbon in undress to denote this bar. This award is controversial because Eighth Army was created in October of 1941 and fought in Africa for a year before the award service requirement. The award dates from the start of the El Alamein battle that ultimately led to the German eviction from Africa. Reportedly General Bernard Montgomery refused to allow Eighth
- Army soliders who fought under his predecessor, General Auchinleck, from October of 1941, and even his first few months of service starting in August of 1942 to wear the award.
- 1st Army
Awarded for service with the 1st Army between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943. A ‘1’ is worn on the ribbon in undress to denote this bar.
- North Africa 1942-43
Awarded for service with the navy, merchant navy, or Royal Air Force in specified areas from 23 October 1942 to 12 May 1943. In undress, a rosette on the ribbon denotes this bar.
- Use of rosette emblem
During the same dates, inshore service by the merchant navy, certain commands of the Royal Air Force and by the personnel of the headquarters of the 18th Army Group earned a silver rose emblem instead of one of the clasps.
The example here is one with a 1st Army bar.
The Africa Star with 8th Army Bar
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags North Africa, United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeThis example of the Africa Star has an additional 8th Army bar attached. See above for other examples. I have a few more Africa Stars, in groups mostly and a single without any bar.
The Pacific Star with Burma Star Clasp
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeThis is one of my favourite of the stars from WW2. This is because it is part of my grandfathers entitlement as he fought in the Solomon Islands against the Japanese.
The medal was awarded for operational service in the Pacific Theater between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, and also for certain specified service in China, Hong-Kong, Malaya and Sumatra:
Hong Kong – between 8 December 1941 and 25 December 1941
China and Malaya – between 8 December 1941 and 15 February 1942
Sumatra – between 8 December 1941 and 23 March 1942
Second World War service in China, Hong Kong, Malaya and Sumatra after the above end dates was recognised by the award of the Burma Star.
The qualifying sea areas for the award of the Pacific Star are the Pacific Ocean (including the South China Sea) and the Indian Ocean east of a line running due south from Singapore round the South-East coast of Sumatra, through Christmas Island, and southwards along the meridian of 110 deg East.
The Pacific Star was authorized for immediate bestowal to any soldier or sailor who had been killed or wounded in combat.
British uniform regulations stipulated that Burma Star would not be awarded to a recipient of the Pacific Star. Subsequent entitlement to the Burma Star was denoted by the award of the Burma Star clasp.
The King’s Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom with Miniature & Case
Posted in Rare Medals, Valour Medals with tags United Kingdom, Valour Medals, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeThe King’s medal was issued in two versions: The King’s Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom and the King’s Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom. Both medals were silver and 36 millimetres in diameter.
The King’s Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom was introduced on 23 August 1945, to mark the acts of courage by foreign civilians in the furtherance of the British Commonwealth in the Allied cause. It was primarily intended to reward those foreign civilians who had assisted British escapees in enemy occupied territory. The medal’s obverse has the crowned profile of King George VI, with the text “The King’s Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom” on the reverse. The medal’s ribbon was white with two narrow blue stripes in the centre and two broad red stripes at the ribbon’s edges.
There are a number of fakes of this medal in circulation, all cast from the same original. Look for an edge bruise at 5:30 on the medal and avoid if you see it.
My example came with some Free French membership badges which were numbered, offering me an opportunity to research and discover the recipient. Excellent.
The 1939-1945 War Medal
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeThe War Medal 1939–1945 was a British decoration awarded to those who had served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy full-time for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
In the Merchant Navy, the 28 days must have been served at sea.
It is sometimes described as the “Victory Medal” for World War II, although that is not its correct name. Generally these things are unnamed but I have a one orphan that is named.
For those of you hunting down sets it is as follows, 1220764 N.K. Mohd AJAIB.
I otherwise have a trunkful of these.
1939-1945 Star
Posted in 1939-1945 Service Medals with tags United Kingdom, WW2 on February 14, 2010 by The DudeThe 1939–45 Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in the Second World War. The medal was awarded for operational service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
Army personnel had to complete 6 months service in an operational command. Airborne troops qualified if they had participated in any airborne operations and had completed 2 months service in a fully operational unit.
Air Force personnel had to participate in operations against the enemy providing that 2 months service had been completed in an operational unit. Non-aircrew personnel had to complete 6 months service in an area of (overseas) operational army command.
Naval personnel qualified if they completed 6 months service, and at least 1 voyage was made through an operational area.
Royal Observer Corps personnel for service of 1080 days.
There were a number of “Qualifying Special Areas” where operational service for “one day or part thereof” qualified for the special award of the 1939–45 Star. These were actions for which a more specific campaign medal was not issued. Examples are: France or Belgium: 10 May to 19 June 1940, St.Nazaire 22-28 March1942, Dieppe: 19 August 1942, Iraq: 10 April to 25 May 1941 and Burma (Enemy Invasion): 22 February 1942 to 15 May 1942.[1] The star was immediately awarded if the service period was terminated by death, disability or wounding. The award of a gallantry medal or a Mention in Despatches also led to an immediate award.
I have a few of these medals.
Kiwi Medals 