"Dull White Battle Wound Badge"?

[David B]

Hi Everyone

I have been reading a book called 'Hess A Tale of Two Murders' - in this book it says that Rudolf Hess was, in 1918, awarded a "Dull White Battle Wound Badge" it then says this was a wounded man's honourable discharge fom the infantry (Hess had been wounded three times). I am wondering if this was just a Silver Wound Badge or something else. Someone might know?

Thanks
David

[Shawn]

Yes, Hess had the Silver Wound Badge. The Germans used the following descriptions for the Wound Badges (from the 1930 Rangliste des Deutschen Reichsheer):

Verwundeten-Abzeichen in Schwarz (Black)
Verwundeten-Abzeichen in matt-weiß (Silver)
Verwundeten-Abzeichen in matt-gelb (Gold)

[Rick Research]

He may have been "retired" from the front after his 3rd wound, but getting the badge wasn't a ticket for home--only disability was. Ernst Jünger, the last surviving Pour le Merite winner who died a few years ago at age 103 or so, was wounded something like 17 times in WWI, but never seriously enough to get permanently pulled out of the line.

Until 1936 the Wound Badges were given solely by number of times wounded, not severity.

[David B]

Thanks guys