This is a German Close Combat clasp from World War II. this badge was instituted on 25 November, 1942, to recognize the courage of the German soldier in hand to hand combat. Adolf Hitler was directly involved with the development of the badge, and reserved the right to award the badge in gold personally to the soldier. The badge is die cast and made of zinc. It has a width of 3 7/8" and a height of 1 1/16", and is slightly convex. The center piece is the German eagle clutching a canted swastika in it's talons above a crossed bayonet and grenade. The center is cut out and has a flat square of blackened steel crimped in place on the backside. The pin is missing from the badge, but the clutch remains. The makers stamp of F&BL, representing Funke & Brunninghaus of Ludenscheid, is visible under the clutch. This badge is in bronze, meaning the soldier it was presented to spent between 15 and 30 days in combat. The criteria to define a combat day many. One was when the soldier has the opportunity to be close enough to the enemy to assault him with close combat weapons and be victorious. Also included were days when the soldier was part of a major attack, assault, reconnaissance, defense of a position or messenger runner. These actions could take place at the front against the enemy or in the rear against partisans. This badge has oxidized, but will clean up nicely. It came out of an Alabama veterans estate, apparently he brought it back home as a souvenir. I just wonder if he's the one who ended the German soldiers streak of combat days?

Item # AA1319

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