General Assault Badge by Bierdermann & Co.

German WWII > Awards and Medals > Army and SS Awards > General Assault Badge

Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen - Crimped Hinge - by Bierdermann & Co. of Oberkassel bei Bonn. Instituted June 1, 1940, the General Assault Badge was awarded to Army, Waffen-SS and Ordnungspolizei personnel who supported an infantry attack in three separate assaults but did not qualify for the Infantry or Panzer Assault Badge. It is constructed out of a die struck zinc-alloy base that has been silver washed. The obverse depicts a closed winged eagle, clutching a mobile swastika within its talons, above a crossed model 24 grenade and K98 bayonet. This is then all surrounded by an oak leaf and acorn wreath. The fullback reverse features a soldered-on rectangular plate round wire catch, soldered/crimped-on sheet metal hinge and round wire pin. All of the components are in well working condition. It measures 2 1/16 inches tall by 11/16 inches wide.

This badge was part of a recently discovered British army veteran lot. The words of the son of the veteran: "My grandfather collected these while overseas during the war, many of the soldiers within my regiment used to swap items amongst each other, it wasn’t allowed for them to take them home back to the United Kingdom, but we took the risk anyway."