Cased Imperial Naval Wound Badge

[hagwalther]

Hi Guys,

These badges are certainly not my thing and I have never really looked at these let alone handled one before.

Looking around I have not seen to many of these gold naval versions which suggests that they are not as common as the army related award.

I picked this up as a bit of an impulse buy from the internet for 35 pounds as it came with a case (I like cased awards) that although looked well worn appeared to (and does) fit with the badge very well. I also managed to check out a few photos of black and silver versions on this forum and compare it with a few army versions that I own to compare clasp and hinge.

No alarm bells rang and an receipt found that it has a beautiful vaulted structure with a magnetic body and pin. Hinge and clasp are not magnetic though.

Case looks authentic to me and compares with other cases I own in respect to a couple of Imperial awards.

However, I need some expert opinion here - I'm temped to say that award and case are good but I need to know if I

'...did my dough...'

Mind you at 35 pounds I can put this on my folly shelf as a warning to future impuse purchases that I may be temped to make.

I have a few photos to post - last one will be of the case hinge.

Regards

Chris

Edited September 17, 2007 by hagwalther

[hagwalther]

In Case 2

[hagwalther]

Obverse.

[hagwalther]

Reverse.

[hagwalther]

Hinge.

[hagwalther]

Clasp.

[hagwalther]

Case Top - Well worn.

[hagwalther]

Case Catch.

[hagwalther]

Last Shot - Case Hinge.

[dond]

I don't know about the case but the badge looks nice to me.

Edited September 18, 2007 by dond

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup. Badge looks fine to me as well, and a bargain at that price.

ZERO clue about any case. I seriously doubt any of these were issued with one, but a between the wars one might well have been sold by a military effects shop with one to dress it up for the buyer.

Virtually all naval wound badges are statistically likely to have been unissued. Given the nature of sea warfare (and the naval aviation of the day), you were either alive and whole or

dead.

Not many options for in between the extremes.

Haven't ever been able to tell whether the naval infantry in Belgium in Marinekorps Flandern-- the force most likely to have had "in between"-- actually got these, or the army type. The colonial forces in Tsingtau, China, did get the navy version-- but then the likelihood of multiple separate wounds during that short-lived siege were few indeed. Postwar Freikorps wounds were recognized by the army version badge.

To this day, after 40+ years collecting, I can't recall EVER seeing an award document for a naval wound badge before the 1936 change in regulations, which meant that severity rather than number of wounds could be recognized by a silver or gold.

And I know of no way to tell a 1918-made badge from a 1928 or 1938 one. Just have to take them as they are!

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think I have a doc for a black one to a marinekorps officer... must have a look and see....

[Guest Rick Research]

If so-- new thread, please.

[hagwalther]

Thanks Guys,

Here is some more information on the badge:

Dimensions:

Height - 46.00 mm

Width - 39.86 mm

Weight - 7.75 grams

Regards

Chris

[dond]

It's a keeper Chris. Here are my black and silver ones: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20228

I'm hoping to pick up the Gold at the MAX next month.

[hagwalther]

Thanks Don,

Good looking badges and good luck with the gold version at the MAX show.

I have asked a fellow collector up on packets and cases to take a look at the case when he has a moment but in the mean time here is a cased silver with stickpin that was my other impuse buy a year or so ago.

Cases are different but show quite a few similarities so fingers crossed here too.

Regards

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here you go Rick ... have his EK1 and 2 as well (docs I mean)

[nesredep]

Hi

Guys

Very interesting tread and nice looking badge.I need a

Best regards

Nesredep

[dond]

How does this compare with Chris' badge?