Wound Badges are distinct in that it is the only award which, by definition, had to be earned with blood.  The German tradition of presenting their wounded warriors with a badge began toward the end of World War I.   Imperial Wound badges, though not strictly Third Reich awards, are covered in this section because they are closely related to the World War II issue of this badge.

Upon the return of the Condor Legion, the German troops that fought against communism in the Spanish Civil War, the wound badge was reinstituted and presented to Legions' bloodstained heroes. When World War II broke out, the final version of this award went into production, and was presented up until the last days of the Reich. The only other variant, the 20th of July 1944 wound badge, is covered in that section. The wound badge was one of the awards authorized for wear in 1957.  To enter the different pages in this section, follow the links below.

Imperial Spanish 1939 (W.W. II) 20th July Recipients



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