WWII GERMAN KRIM SHIELD -
This shield was issued on July 1942 by orders of Adolf Hitler. Soldiers
who participated in air, land and sea battles between September 1941 and July
1942 were eligible for the award.
The criteria for obtaining the shield included:
The soldier must participate in assignment in the area for a minimum of three months. The soldier
was wounded in the area. The soldier participated in one major battle in the area.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German badge worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
badges in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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Two types of shields were awarded; one was gold while the other one was bronze.
Notice the detail on the eagle and the map. The shield came attached
to a piece of cloth, which would be sewn to the sleeve of the dress uniform.
The example illustrated here is missing the extra cloth.
The Krim shield was sewn to the side of the arm. A section of wool cloth was the base of the shield. The color
of the wool varied depending on the branch of service to which the award was given. In addition, the back of the
wool cloth had a section of paper glued to it.
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Award qualifications
The qualifications to earn the Krim shield included the following.
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QUALIFICATIONS |
1 |
To have served in the Krim region for three or more months.
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2 |
To have been wounded while serving in the region
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3 |
To have taken part in at least one major operation against the enemy.
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The photo to the left is an example of what the award document for the shield looks like. It is
important to note that the format of the document was not standard. It is possible to find documents
that do not look exactly like the one featured here.
Feldmarschall Von Manstein is credited with introducing this shield as an award in the German armed
forces. The document would be stamped with a headquarters seal and would have the signature of the
commanding officer making the award.
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The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of
providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting
world of military collectibles.
The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military
collectible's price guide, and anatomical breakdown of each piece enhances the visitor's experience.
Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of
each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.
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By the Numbers
It is hard to determine the exact number of Krim shields that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping
maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to find how many shields were actually issued.
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There were over 1000 shields issued during the war. The author does not have a breakdown of how
many were issued per branch.
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Collecting Third Reich Shields
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe
bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to
battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies.
Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.
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In trying to determine if you should collect Krim shields there are certain factors that should be
considered.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Krim shields.
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As a military collector, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with as many examples of the shield you
are collecting. The following section provides additional examples of the Krim shield.
This award is currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.
If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our
WWII German Badges and Awards
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and
Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.
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