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The Tank Memorial Badge ( German: ''Kampfwagen-Erinnerungsabzeichen'') was a military decoration of the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is ...
awarded to former tank crewmen who fought in World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Officially known as ''Memorial Badge for former German tank crews'' (German: ''Erinnerungsabzeichen für die ehemaligen Besatzungen deutscher Kampfwagen'') it was usually referred to as ''Tank Memorial Badge'' or simply ''Tank Badge'' (''Kampfwagenabzeichen)''. Draft cards of this era show that it was sometimes written as ''Tank-Abzeichen''.
History and criteria
The Tank Badge was instituted by the Minister of DefenceOtto Gessler
Otto Karl Gessler (or Geßler) (6 February 1875 – 24 March 1955) was a liberal German politician during the Weimar Republic. From 1910 until 1914, he was mayor of Regensburg and from 1913 to 1919 mayor of Nuremberg. He served in numerous W ...
on 13 Jul 1921 and laid down in the ''Heeres-Verordnungsblatt Nr. 41'' of 15 July 1921.''Heeres-Verordnungsblatt. 3. Jahrgang, Berlin den 15. Juli 1921, Nr. 41'', pp. 299–300 It was to be issued to veterans of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
who qualified by: being a crewman (commander, driver, gunner, loader, mechanic, signaller or messenger) of a tank; either an A7V
The A7V was a heavy tank introduced by Germany in 1918 during World War I. One hundred chassis were ordered in early 1917, ten to be finished as fighting vehicles with armoured bodies, and the remainder as ''Überlandwagen'' cargo carriers. T ...
or a ''Beutepanzer'' (captured tank), and either participated in three armored assaults or being wounded during an armored assault.
Potential recipients had to apply to the Inspectorate of Motorized Troops to receive a certificate; the actual badge had to be obtained privately. Because of this unusual method of application the badge was officially certified in only 99 cases.Haupt, p. 18
Design
The silver oval-formed badge featured a ''Totenkopf
''Totenkopf'' (, i.e. ''skull'', literally "dead person's head") is the German word for the skull and crossbones symbol. The "skull and crossbones" symbol is an old international symbol for death, the defiance of death, danger, or the dead, as ...
'' (skull and crossbones
A skull and crossbones is a symbol consisting of a human skull and two long bones crossed together under or behind the skull. The design originated in the Late Middle Ages as a symbol of death and especially as a ''memento mori'' on tombstones.
...
) on the top in reference to the Brunswick skull. It was enclosed by a two-part wreath, oak leaves on the left and laurel leaves on the right; both tied with a bow at the bottom. The central piece was a stylized A7V
The A7V was a heavy tank introduced by Germany in 1918 during World War I. One hundred chassis were ordered in early 1917, ten to be finished as fighting vehicles with armoured bodies, and the remainder as ''Überlandwagen'' cargo carriers. T ...
tank crossing a barbed wire entanglement from east to west with three bursting shrapnels above it. It was to be worn as a stick-on decoration below the left breast pocket.
See also
*Tanks in World War I
The development of tanks in World War I was a response to the stalemate that developed on the Western Front. Although vehicles that incorporated the basic principles of the tank (armour, firepower, and all-terrain mobility) had been projected ...
Notes
Resources
* * * * {{cite book , title=Heeres-Verordnungsblatt. 3. Jahrgang, Berlin den 15. Juli 1921, Nr. 41 , pages=299–300 Military awards and decorations of Germany Awards established in 1921