Battle damaged VWA

[M3A1Mats]

Hi,

At the recent La Gleize fair I bought something that is a bit out of my comfortzone yet I felt like I had to own this piece. I had to sleep on it but decided to purchase it. It is a bit naive to think a lot differently of this badge than any other VWA. These things happened a lot and had to happen in order to get the VWA. Behind all VWA there is a terrible story and in this case it is just more apparent what happened. Still this is a very heavy and sad piece that puts it all in perspective for me.

Thanks for looking,

Mats

[Ninja]

Well Mats,

Ballistics is a hard field of expertise. ☺

Sure looks like a bullet went through the badge, but when was this and was it a bullet? 🤔

The badge is IMO an original badge, I think it is a cool badge.
I would have bought it. ☺

Rasmus.

[M3A1Mats]

Sure looks like a bullet went through the badge, but when was this and was it a bullet? 🤔

Rasmus.

Thank you for your reply Rasmus!

It's impossible to say when it happened. It could've been shot through and buried 10 years ago, who knows,

Mats

[Simon H]

Could be original, the entire badge appears to have been over painted with something, possibly to preserve the item as it is in poor relic condition - unless of course it was done to hid something.

[Marcel Banziger]

I've also seen a Infantry Assault and a General Assault badge at La Gleize with bullet holes through them. Found it quite a coincidence to see both from the same seller with similar bullet holes. These coincidences make me quite cautious.

[GEB]

Two contrary observations:
I'm struck by the awareness that the swastika appears absent on the surface but visible on the back. Was this perhaps de-nazified. Then sometime later shot, and aged?

I spent a portion of my childhood in France. (early 60s) The coolest relics were reliably found in the former field cemetery's where soldiers had been initially buried before being dug up and moved (anywheres from 3 to 10 years later) to permanent centralized cemetery's. I don't recall ever finding bones in the typically shallow digs (rarely less than 12 inches) but I used to have a cigar box full of relic badges, and buckles, most were damaged (although not so dramaticly as this,) spent bullets and pieces of shrapnel. This item is reminiscent of those we found. Sometimes we found coins. We never found identity disks or anything as "personal" in nature as rings or watches or religious medals, as those items were probably removed with the human remains.
As a 12 & 13 year old kid, this was all very cool. And the ethic of grave robbing never even remotely passed through my mind.

[M3A1Mats]

Thanks for all the replies!

I noticed the lack of swastika also and that might be a bit worrisome indeed. I think it is definitely possible that it was burried while de-nazified. I do have a theory but it might be a bit far fetched as I'm no corrosion expert. The first thing that would lose its finish while wearing is the swastika so the oxidation process would start there sooner. Just a guess. But then again, would the lack of finish on just the swastika matter when it's in the ground for 70years?

You are correct Marcel, there are a lot of doubtfull sellers at La Gleize! I don't have a feeling this was one of those sellers though. This was the only ground dug piece he was offering but who knowns. It really is something to keep in mind! The first year I went to La Gleize there was a guy selling a dug up boot with the remains of the soldier still inside Those people will do anything for a few bucks..


Mats

[Gran Sasso]

Interesting bade for sure.



Had a simular one some years ago:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ighlight=pride

[Yubari]

After the war badges were everywhere in my country at least, thrown away by fleeing soldiers. I heard many stories when kids shoot to them with gund that were also everywhere.

[Ironcrown]

I agree with Yubari. The hole looks fine to me, and naturally aged. Who knows what happened. Maybe a denazified badge was used as target for shooting after the war and then dropped away. This would also explain why other similar badges were found.

[Jean-Loup]

"I spent a portion of my childhood in France. (early 60s) The coolest relics were reliably found in the former field cemetery's where soldiers had been initially buried before being dug up and moved (anywheres from 3 to 10 years later) to permanent centralized cemetery's. I don't recall ever finding bones in the typically shallow digs (rarely less than 12 inches) but I used to have a cigar box full of relic badges, and buckles, most were damaged (although not so dramaticly as this,) spent bullets and pieces of shrapnel. This item is reminiscent of those we found. Sometimes we found coins. We never found identity disks or anything as "personal" in nature as rings or watches or religious medals, as those items were probably removed with the human remains.
As a 12 & 13 year old kid, this was all very cool. And the ethic of grave robbing never even remotely passed through my mind."


Here are a few such finds:

[Jean-Loup]

.

[toot]

wound badge with a hole

WOW!!! a wound badge with a wound!! what is the chance of a hit like that. it would have hit the lung, liver-a fatal wound. poor bugger.

[Yubari]

the latest pics indicates battle damage more likely.

[Hans N]

With badges like this one it all comes down to beleaving.