Original German WWII Medal & Insignia Grouping with Luftwaffe Belt Buckle & Cigarettes – 16 Items Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a very nice collection of German WWII Era awards, insignia, and other collectible items, with some from the Pre-WWII NSDAP period. These were most likely brought home by a WWII USGI during or after the war, as medals from Germany were very popular collectors items.

As best we can tell, the set consists of the following:

• One German WWII Luftwaffe Steel Belt Buckle with leather tab marked H. AURICH DRESDEN 1942. This is the mid war steel type buckle, and does have service wear, with a lot of the finish on the front of the buckle removed.
• TWO German WWII War Merit Crosses 2nd Class with correct ribbons. On has swords (for combat) while the other does not. These are both in excellent condition, with a lovely patina on the awards, and the one without swords even comes in the original paper packet!
• One service worn German WWII Crimea Krim Shield Decoration – Krimschild. This still has all four of the attachment prongs, but they are bent, and the award overall has lost most of the original finish.
• Original German WWII Deutsches Frauenwerk (German women’s organization) membership pin.
• One German WWII DAF Labor Front – Deutsche Arbeitsfront Stick Pin
• One German WWII DAF Labor Front – Deutsche Arbeitsfront Mitgliedsbuch (membership book), signed and dated with stamped on the interior.
• One German Early / Pre WWII National Socialist State Veteran’s Association Enameled membership stick pin – NSRKB
• One German Later Pattern National Socialist State Veteran’s Association Enameled membership stick pin – NSRKB
• One German Early / Pre WWII Pattern National Socialist State Veteran’s Association Enameled Brass Cap Badge- NSRKB
• One German WWII RAD Arbeits Dank (Labor Appreciation) Enameled Mitgliedsnadel (member pin). These were given for completing term of serviced working for the RAD. 
• One German WWII RAD Enameled Stick Pin, maker marked on the back.
• 4 Packs of German WWII Era cigarettes, with the correct NSDAP Tax stamps on each. Two look to still be sealed, while two have been opened, or at least the packaging has split open.

This is a great set of collectible items from WWII Era Germany. A great way to start your collection!

Below are descriptions for some of the awards:

War Merit Cross 2nd Class (Kriegsverdienstkreuz) with Swords (for Combat)
This was a decoration of NSDAP Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to military personnel and civilians alike. By the end of the war it was issued in four degrees, and had a related civil decoration. It was created by Adolf AH in October 1939 as a successor to the non-combatant Iron Cross which was used in earlier wars. The award was graded the same as the Iron Cross: War Merit Cross Second Class, War Merit Cross First Class, and Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross. The award had two variants: with swords given to soldiers for exceptional service “not in direct connection with combat”, and without swords for meritorious service to civilians in “furtherance of the war effort”. As with the Iron Cross, Recipients had to have the lower grade of the award before getting the next level.

The Crimea Shield (Krimschild or KRIM Shield) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to military personnel under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein who fought against Soviet Red Army forces and captured the Crimea region (Krim in German) between 21 September 1941 and 4 July 1942. It was instituted on 25 July 1942. It was the most widely distributed of the various German shields with approximately 250,000 being awarded.

Design
The Wehrmacht’s Army Group South advanced through the Crimean peninsula between the Autumn of 1941 and Summer of 1942. To commemorate the hostilities that ended with the German capture of Sevastopol on 4 July 1942 the Crimea Shield was created for all members of the armed forces under area commander Field Marshal Erich von Manstein.

The shield is headed by the German eagle clutching a laurel wreath surrounding a swas. Flanking the eagle are the dates 1941 and 1942, which represent the start and end dates of the campaign. This sits on the backdrop of the Crimean peninsula, where the fighting took place, which has the word KRIM stamped across it.

Criteria for award
The Crimea Shield could be awarded to all members of the Wehrmacht and to Luftwaffe and other units affiliated to the campaign between 21 September 1941 and 4 July 1942. The following conditions needed to have been met for the award:
– Served in the area for at least 90 days; or
– Been wounded while serving in the area; or
– Had been engaged in at least one major operation against the enemy

Romanian troops serving in the Crimea were also eligible for the award.