WW2 GERMAN WOUND BADGE IN SILVER #65 BY KLEIN & QUENZER

37mm x 47mm early war produced tombak constructed, solid backed badge with a silver wash. The badge is in the form of an embossed, vertically oval, laurel leaf wreath encompassing an embossed profile of a M35 pattern helmet with a high relief, canted, swastika to the centre, superimposed over crossed swords on a pebbled base field. The reverse has a vertical pin and catch with manufacturers code number '65' for Klein & Quenzer of Oberstein. N.B: The Silver (2nd class) for being wounded three or four times.

The Wound Badge (German: Verwundetenabzeichen) was a military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was awarded to wounded or frostbitten soldiers of the Imperial German Army, 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. It was awarded to members in the Reichswehr, the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied bombings, it was also awarded to wounded civilians in air raids. It was awarded when the wound was the result of enemy hostile action, with an exception being for frostbite.