Original German WWII French Made Kriegsmarine Navy Auxiliary Cruiser War Badge – Bacqueville Attributed Original Items

Original Items: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a rare German WWII Kriegsmarine (Navy) Auxiliary Cruiser War Badge (Kriegsabzeichen für Hilfskreuzer). The award was a World War II German military decoration awarded to officers and men of the Kriegsmarine for service on Auxiliary Cruisers or the supply ships that supported them for a successful large voyage. The award was instituted on 24 April 1941 by Grand Admiral Erich Raeder.

This example was made in France during WWII, and conforms well to other known examples, with the horizontal pin catch and hook on the top, a hallmark of French-made badges from Bacqueville in Northern France. There was a large Kriegsmarine presence in this area on the Northern French Coast, including the Coastal Artillery Batteries, Submarine Pens, and so forth. This made it more convenient to source these specific badges in France. The badge is not maker marked, as is correct for the French pattern.

This example is in very good condition, with a lot of the original gold wash on the front of the badge present. It has wear in the expected areas on the front, giving it a lovely aged patina. It looks to be made from a zinc body with a brass hinge and pin.

Designed by Wilhelm Ernst Peekhaus in Berlin, the award featured a Viking longship sailing over the northern hemisphere of the globe surrounded by a laurel wreath of oak leaves. At the apex of the badge was a German Eagle clutching a swas. The wreath, eagle and ship were in gilt and the globe area gray colored. Versions were produced in bronze and later in zinc.

A special presentation version, featuring 15 small diamonds inlaid on the swas, was presented in January 1942 by Grand Admiral Raeder to Kapitän zur See Bernhard Rogge, commander of the successful German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis.