Bandenkampfabzeichen............

[Steve 5]

Gents, a Bronze grade "Bandenkampfabzeichen", Anti Partisan badge...a late production piece evident by its open hinge, so after 1968, but the still crisp features....notice the part hollow rear , appalling ! I have read that this happened early on in production, St u L obviously attempting to save money !
Early examples being solid backed. Its 1957 design stays close to its wartime appearance, only loosing its skull/crossed bones and sun wheel swastika in the dagger handle...A good looking badge, which has a dubious status !
Prost ! Steve.

[Steve 5]

Hinge assembly..................
Prost ! Steve.

[Tom B]

Hi Steve, while I don't collect badges, this is one of my favorite ones. Tom

[Gebirgsjaeger]

Was Bandenkampfabzeichen among official 57-ers?

[Steve 5]

Was Bandenkampfabzeichen among official 57-ers?

Yes it most certainly was part of the 1957 approved awards list.........despite its dubious image !
Here a Bundeswehr LW NCO sports the 57er version ...........image courtesy of member Sepp45.
Prost ! Steve.

[Nigel N]

indeed a great design on the APB, and though yours is a later open hingeblock/ thick catch type, it still has nice detail and bronze finish!!
That the APB was redesigned and allowed has always been something of a puzzle to me! Of all the war and qualification badges, the one I associate with Nazism, and atrocities is this one, we know the anti partisan war was a ruthless war on both sides with no quarter given, that combined with the large number of SS awardees, made this a strange choice for me to be included??
When you think of the medals that weren't allowed, the flower wars, and the seemingly harmless Westwall..........?????
Still a fine example Steve!!
-Nigel

[Gebirgsjaeger]

APB badges w/o swaz definitively does exist - whoever, however & why have made it, and according to the pic (thanks, Steve! Prost! ) they were worn in some occasions - photographing for family albums and WW2 veteran reunions for example. I may be wrong, but somehow I'm still not convinced it was an official 57-er nor even legal, so I will be very surprised to see a photo of Bundeswehr officer wearing a PBT w/o swaz in public ...

After a small research I have found controversial information regarding it, and mostly sellers claims that it is a real McCoy while there are some other opinions, on some discussions and here on ebay.de which I would not underestimate because it sound very logical to me. Quotation:

"Summary of the new German 1957 Regulations:

Only certain wartime medals may be worn in the new form (de-nazified) and a list is available showing samples of the new style. All other Nazi awards are banned, Nazi medals must not be bought/made/sold or traded. There is a 3 month prison sentence and/or a fine for breach of regulations

Examples of Medals which are banned: and not available in the 1957 new form: SS Awards such as SS Long Service, The Anti-Partisan (Bandit Badge) Mothers Crosses, NSDAP and Rally Badges."



Does anybody have an official list of 57-ers?? It must exist... IMO, we should clarify this finally...

[Nigel N]

Hi Bata!
There should be a list somewhere on the forum, i'll have a look for it!!
I don't think there is any doubt or confusion surrounding the Anti Partisan Badge, it was/ is a 57 version despite its reputation and the images it conjures up!
The info is from Elite militaria, and we have discussed it before I think, there summary of 57ers is error strewn, I'm sure they meant well, but the info they give is wrong in many places, this part about the APB is one of many!
Interestingly, if you look at the APB they themselves have for sale, it is described as a correct 57er etc etc, contradicting what they say in the link you showed!!
So as a 57er........
-Nigel

[Gebirgsjaeger]

Nigel,

there's a LOT controversy regarding this badge...

http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=15885

Anyway, I failed to find it explicitly mentioned neither on the list of permitted nor prohibited medals & decorations, even from the Ordensgesetz 1957 I could not get a clue...

Should I give up?

[Nigel N]

Hi Bata, well, they were certainly bought and worn by veterans............
Josef%20Sepp%20Dorsch.jpg

[Gebirgsjaeger]

Well, I mentioned a veteran reunions as a place where we could expect it...

Btw., I have seen denazified West wall on 57 medal bar, even it's on banned medal list, so obviously there were not strict control and veterans wanted to show everything they earned...

[Nigel N]

Hi Bata!
Yes, I have a de-Nazified Westwall on a medalbar myself!
Even more interesting, is that S&L made a version of the Westwall in the 57 style (without swastika), it was probably a prototype made in small numbers, possibly S&L expected the Westwall to make the list? But it never did!!
Maciej has a super example of this type of prototype Westwall in his collection, which has been shown here!!
-Nigel

[Arthur Spooner]

A assume one of the reasons why the Bandenkampfabzeichen was allowed to wear as 57er version was, that it was not awarded to SS-soldiers only, but also to Wehrmacht soldiers and other troops.

So it was allowed to wear also in the Bundeswehr.
(my collection highlight 2012)

[Gebirgsjaeger]

Hi Bata!
Yes, I have a de-Nazified Westwall on a medalbar myself!
Even more interesting, is that S&L made a version of the Westwall in the 57 style (without swastika), it was probably a prototype made in small numbers, possibly S&L expected the Westwall to make the list? But it never did!!
Maciej has a super example of this type of prototype Westwall in his collection, which has been shown here!!
-Nigel

Hi Nigel!

Seems that even S&L produced banned orders and decorations in 57 style which was as well worn beside other (allowed) 57ers. Very strange for Germany, which is IMO very well organized and regulated state, but we should not have a doubt regarding APBs being made and used by the veterans.

The question is if APB was officially allowed?

I'd like that somebody convince me opposite but - I don't think so. According to historical sources, this badge was quite controversial from the very beginning, and even Wehrmacht soldier who were authorized to wear it usually didn't while SS members proudly did considering it as "their order", especially as only Heinrich Himmler himself awarded golden APBs. Connection with infamous SS is more than clear, and we should have in mind that everything related to SS was highly forbidden in Germany after the war. Moreover, even the name of the Bandenkampfabzeichen is offensive, so it's hard (for me) to imagine that, only 12 years after the WW2, somebody will put a signature on the approval that APB could be officially made and worn again, while something less explicit like West Wall and Mothers Cross were banned as inappropriate for a "new time"?

That's just my opinion, yet I could not find any document that will confirm or refute it...

[novara]

The APB was on the official list, here is description:

HERSTELLUNGSVORSCHRIFT Nr. 36 für das BANDENKAMPFABZEICHEN
Abmessungen: Größe 59 mm Material: Messing Ms 85 4 mm
Beschreibung: Das Bandenkampfabzeichen zeigt im ovalen Eichenkranz ein senkrecht nach unten gerichtetes Schwert, umgeben von Schlangen.
Fertigung: Das Bandenkampfabzeichen wird massiv geprägt, geschnitten und entgratet. Auf der Rückseite wird senkrecht eine Scharniernadel hart angelötet. Das Bandenkampfabzeichen wird gesandelt und entsprechend seinen Stufen, wie folgt gefärbt:
Bronze: bronzefarbig chemisch getönt.
Silber: galvanisch versilbert, die erhöhten Stellen handpoliert.
Gold: galvanisch vergoldet, die erhöhten Stellen handpoliert.
Abschließend wird das Bandenkampfabzeichen mit einem farblosen Zaponlack überzogen.