wwii axis reenactment forum

How do you translate the german awards to reenactment?

Wound Badge may be awarded if you are really hurt in the field

When are you entitled to wear:

EK1 and K2
Sturm infantry Abzeichen
nahkampfspanges
RK
KVK

just curious how other w.ss and Heer reenactment units see this.

Just have a look at our site http://www.gaissmair.net/awards_page.htm

Most units award systems are variations on a theme. My groups criteria is pretty similar too the example franz has given. With the russian front medal we have to have taken part in the event in russia and Iron crosses are based on levels of dedication and time served etc. Shame there arent more staunch regs on medals being worn. Personally Ive decided to knock all medal wearing on the head for the time being. Mainly because of the bling fest that was War and Peace this July. Didnt think it was usually that bad but Jebus there were tunics that could of been used as weight lifting tools this year. Ive only been awarded the infantry assualt badge at his time and Ive been reenacting when I can for about 2 years. Might leave it another one or two before I don it again. Basing my impression around a particulars Soldiers memoir currently. Hed been serving on the russian front for nearly a year before he got his first award.

Way back when - Pre Interweb and the growth in popularity of the hobby - Good units had an award system - a lot ran on similar lines - Achievement. Attendance. Dedication. Input. Contribution and in some cases Outstanding Acts meant people accumulated points and qualified for awards which made groups look representative. It worked in a great majority of cases and was good for esprit de corps and morale.

Ah! Those were the days.
Turn up to an event knowing that it got you some points towards adding a little bit of 'bling' to your tunic.
You knew it wouldn't be this year, maybe not even next year but every show moved you closer.
When the old AFRA/Windhund folded I was a couple of points short of an EK2, Karl had just got his and I was so keen to catch up. 3/4 years on I still dont have that ribbon. I think I'm alone in the unit now in not wearing it. I didn't earn it in the way I expected to earn it. I've not gained any more ribbons or awards in that time. There are many in the same group now who can hardly stand due to the weight of tin and silk on their chest or plastered up their arms, only one of whom was there back then.
What I wear I feel I earned, they mean something, each time I sewed a loop or searched for a ribbon I knew a little mile stone had been passed, there is a memory of good or hard times to go with it. Those who wear them 'because they wore them' dont have that. Frozen into your 'cardboard' zelt tent as it rained and then went down to sub zero with snow and busting for a piss. I was warm for a while until the steam went away, keep your feet at that end?
It all sounds like the Pythons 'Four Yorkshiremen' sketch, I dont care. Every thing I wear has memories of places and people, good and bad. It wont come close to what the landser felt about his awards, the chest busting pride in being recognised and knowing you made the grade as an equal of your peers, but they mean a lot to me.
Now I'm happy just to have made some solid friends. I might get upset with the odd one or two, they might get well fed up with me, but I know that even if they have called me all the names under the sun and damned me to hell for ever and a day, if I need them or they need me, whatever our failings and weaknesses, the bond will be there.
We are friends and what we wear helps to define who we are and how we can be relied on. Can you say the same about the award festooned guy next to you?

Well put Stig..... and nicely captured.....

The SBG still run a points system,but these days the nco's deside who should get rank/awards.I don't think we award the close combat award these days(H&S),gone are the days when having pinned some 'Tommy' to the ground,the look of alarm in his eyes as my blunt wooden combat knife raised ready to strike and re-assuring him its ok its not real.
Failing that you could take one original steel helmet,fill it with various badges,medals,place a blindfold over your eyes,then plunge your hand in and root around and the first piece out is the one you wear!

Ach John! Du Lieber Tinker!!!!

We still stick to a points system (borne from the principal of the AFRA one) which has always served us well. I do believe you should earn these things as opposed just turning up at Morigi's site with credit card in hand.

We can only loosely award these things based on how they were earned for real, but the fact that you've suffered in some way to earn them (5 events in minus temperatures for the Ostmedaille for example) or earned Assault badges by taking part in battles in some strange way makes you proud of your achievements and hopefully says something about what you've put in to your peers.

Rank is based on example set by the individual, time served and / or any leadership qualities that they may have.

Less is certainly more in my opinion.

Neil.

Ah the bling fest!

We have a few simple ones!

Jump badge, must have completed at least one solo parachute jump!
Iron cross second class,really outstanding achievement voted by the group, and seconded elsewhere,wont name names!
Russian front, Franz's winter training, nothing else!
Luftwaffe assault, 10 events (must include Beltring)
Wound badge, hurt at an event/battle.

No ranks over oberfeldwebel and no other awards! Everyone a jaeger for the first year

Very sound advice there dagda , spot on .

We have awards requirements for all nationalities spelled out in the parent organizations SOP.
NO awards of Valor are allowed unless you have earned one on active duty in the Military.
Infantry Assault, brz Pz assault & General Assault all take 3 Battles to earn.
The Ost Front medal takes 3 Ost Front Battles to earn.
For Fallschirmjagers the jump badge takes 1 Battle, The Lw Ground Combat badge takes an additional 3. For those who have at least one(1) jump the Kreta sleve ribbon is worn.
I condukt annual jump training and jumps for my Fj unit. Not required, but encouraged. Almost all are jump qualified.

just thought us old hands would have a say, for many many years we had a policy that no awards of gallentry would be worn in respect for those who did achieve them. We at DF run a simalar points system, ie 15 battles - sturmabzeichen however you may enter service (after basic training) with awards if you have served in the armed forces. we reserve the Infanterie sturmabzeichen for ex Toms whilst non military members are awarded the Bronze. We have only two members in the gruppe who currently hold the Ostmedaille myself and the Hscha. we achieved these back in 92 at staindrop when we had two weekends together both with snow on the ground. KV2's are given out for outstanding contributions and long service as per the award 4 & 8 yrs. As yet no members have been awarded the Iron cross in any class.

Fallschirmjägerbadge: holder of the official para A or B certificate

Fliegerabzeichen: being an actual pilot

Gliderbadge: glidercertificate

German Sports Award Heer, DRL or DRA: Offical Military Sports Certificate
-Bronze (for the age of 18-32)
-Silver (for the age of 32-40)
-Gold (for the age over 40)

Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge: 30 Re-enactment Battles (after knowledge of basic drill and be in order with the basic uniform)

Cufftitle Kreta: 65 Re-enactment Battles, for members with an A or B Type Offical Para Sertificate

Cufftitle Afrika: 80 Re-enactment Battles

Close Combat Bar WH: 110 Re-enactment Battles

1936 Wound Badge: NCO
- Official medical care needed during
an re-enactment event
- Black: 1-2 Times
- Silver: 3-4Times
- Gold: 5+Times

General Assault Badge (early war):
NCO
Destruction of a Tank or AFV with Panzerbüchse,Gewehrgranate,Geballte ladung,etc...+ survival, and when the Luftwaffe Erdkampfabzeichen has not yet achieved.µ

Tank Destruction Badge (late war): see General Assault Badge

Knights War Merit Cross w. Swords 2nd Class: - NCO
- Administration, management in the group

EK2: - NCO - 3 of the 4 following points:
- Exelent behaviour in the group
- Heroism during the battle
- Qualify in leadership
- Taking of initiative
OR
- At least preventing injury or saving the
life of an other re-enactor

EK1: - NCO
- After receiving of EK II
- The same rules as for receiving the EK II

German Cross: - NCO
- After receiving of EK I
- The same rules as for receiving the EK II

Campaign in the East 1941/1942 (Russian Front): 6 Different days continuous 24h "hibernate"outside during the months NOV.DEC.JAN.FEB.MA.
with negative temperature + 1 night sleeping outside without shelter

Markmanship lanyard of the LW: Offical Military or civillian Sertificate "marksmannship" and very good knowledge of weapons.

Most groups use stick and carrot. By that i mean points system or by number of events the members attend

i know Neil revamped the Das Reich award system so the only ones i know for sure are

Wound badges are usually if injured and need hospital treatment
Das Reich award the Ostmedaille if you attend the St Petersberg in Russia