General Assault Badge

[torstenbel]

Hi Guys, could you help me with this GAB? Do you think it is original? What material would this be? If original, would anyone know what maker this could be? Cheers and thank you very much in advance for your answers and opinions. I personally think that it is original, but cannot find any reference anywhere to compare with this one.... Cheers, Torsten.

[torstenbel]

wm65 - 2

Hi Guys, could you help me with this GAB? Do you think it is original? What material would this be? If original, would anyone know what maker this could be? Cheers and thank you very much in advance for your answers and opinions. I personally think that it is original, but cannot find any reference anywhere to compare with this one.... Cheers, Torsten.

[torstenbel]

wm65 - 3

Hi Guys, could you help me with this GAB? Do you think it is original? What material would this be? If original, would anyone know what maker this could be? Cheers and thank you very much in advance for your answers and opinions. I personally think that it is original, but cannot find any reference anywhere to compare with this one.... Cheers, Torsten.

[Philippe DB]

Hi Torsten,

IMO it the solid variant of these GAB's.

The material would be zinc and the maker is unknown.

I hope Frank will be able to show us pics of another solid version. I'm only able to find a reverse shot of this badge in my files with a different set-up.

KR
Philippe

[Philippe DB]

reverse

[torstenbel]

Philippe, thank you very much for the pics. I do have another solid one, which is certainly zinc, is Assmann marked and also has the needle catch missing, but it is quite different from the first one that I have shown, which is why I do not know what to think about the first one??...Cheers, Torsten.

[torstenbel]

reverse of my Assmann ( I know there are several different versions of the Assmann GAB, as I have found two different ones referenced in literature, but again none matched the Assmann that I have got here...)

Philippe, thank you very much for the pics. I do have another solid one, which is certainly zinc, is Assmann marked and also has the needle catch missing, but it is quite different from the first one that I have shown, which is why I do not know what to think about the first one??...Cheers, Torsten.

[Frank Heukemes]

Hi Torsten,

GABs tend to be very different, depending on which manufacturer made them. No need to worry. Your Assmann is fine too and a well known type.

[torstenbel]

Hi Torsten,

GABs tend to be very different, depending on which manufacturer made them. No need to worry. Your Assmann is fine too and a well known type.

Frank, thank you very much.... one item less to worry about.. would you know what material the first one is coated with to give it the silver finish? It is kind of a hard, smooth finish...Cheers, Torsten.

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Torsten,

Looking at it on the photos, I would say it is a plating, although these also were made with a Brennlack "wash." The plating is very likely not a real silver one, but a "Glanzverzinkung" (glossy zinc finish).

[torstenbel]

Dear Torsten,

Looking at it on the photos, I would say it is a plating, although these also were made with a Brennlack "wash." The plating is very likely not a real silver one, but a "Glanzverzinkung" (glossy zinc finish).

Hi Frank,..Glanzverzinkung... I did not know that such a thing existed, but I guess that could well be it...I did not think it was silver, but I just could not explain what it might be...so, once again, thank you very much for your continued help on my questionmarkpieces....Cheers, Torsten.

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Torsten,

I also learned that only recently, but that type finish is documented in LDO lists from 1944. I assume that it has to be the kind of finish we often refer to as "chrome like."

[Philippe DB]

Dear Torsten,

I also learned that only recently, but that type finish is documented in LDO lists from 1944. I assume that it has to be the kind of finish we often refer to as "chrome like."

Very interesting Frank. Would it be safe to assume that this was a late war procedure taken in to account the date of the doc. you discovered?

If it was it would at least explain why we often encounter late war badges with what looks like a very strong finish.

KR
Philippe

[torstenbel]

Dear Torsten,

I also learned that only recently, but that type finish is documented in LDO lists from 1944. I assume that it has to be the kind of finish we often refer to as "chrome like."

Yes, it is like a chrome finish, but not quite the same...I did not want to use the word chrome when I first described it below, because I thought that in some people's minds that would automatically make it a fake.... Cheers, Torsten.

[Frank Heukemes]

@Philippe: Yes, it seems it was a mid to late war type of finish.