WWII GERMAN ARMY MARKMAN'S AWARD -
Like many other armies, the German armed forces spent a considerable amount of time training how to
improve the accuracy of firing their small arms. An award was developed to recognize individuals
who excelled in shooting.
This is a WWII Army Markman's award lanyard. Bullion construction with a felt backing. Very high quality production item. This award was given in 12 different grades, which would be recognized by the addition of swords to the shield, changes in color, addition of acorns to the end of the lanyard and other variations.
The award was worn with dress and field uniforms. When worn with the dress uniform the lanyard would go from
the right shoulder strap to the second button on the tunic. You can see an example of how the lanyard is worn
by clicking Here .
The back of the badge itself has a wool piece attached to it. The color is normally green. The back of the
string has a very high quality silky material lining its lower section.
This award is of a high quality construction. A series of thich, silver rope-type material is intertwined
together. One end has a small loop. This is the portion that would attach
to the button on the jacket.
The other end has a hard plastic shield, also silver in color. The shield has the Army eagle, wings are
retracted. Clutching a swastika. The head is facing right. The main body of the shield has pebbling all
around. Atop the shield is a silver, thinner string which would help secure the award to the eppilet.
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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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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 Marksmanship lanyards 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 400,000 Marksmanship lanyards issued during the war.
The Marksmanship lanyards was issued along with an award document. Not all documents were identical. variations can
be found from unit to unit. A few things that all documents would have in common are the signature of the
officer who awarded the shield and the state seal.
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Collecting Third Reich Badges
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 Marksmanship lanyards there are certain factors that should be
considered.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Marksmanship lanyards.
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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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