Wound Badge

The Wound Badge (German: Verwundetenabzeichen) was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between the world wars, it was awarded to members of the German armed forces who fought on the Nationalist side of the Spanish Civil War, 1938–39, and received combat-related wounds. In September 1939, Adolf Hitler reinstated the award, with the major change being the helmet. The style of the helmet was changed from the one used in World War I to the 1935 pattern helmet. During World War II, it was awarded to members in the Wehrmacht, Schutzstaffel (SS) and the auxiliary service organizations. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied bombings, it was also awarded to civilians wounded in air raids. It was awarded when the wound was the result of enemy hostile action. In 1957, the West German government authorized a denazified (Swastika removed) version of the basic (black, silver, and gold) badges for wear on the Bundeswehr uniform, among other certain Nazi-era wartime awards.