WWII GERMAN BATTLE SHIELD - DEMJANSK - The Demjansk shield was instituted on April 25th, 1943. Hitler authorized the creation of this shield.

This award was given to around 100,000 personnel of the 2nd Army corps who participated in the defense of the town of Demjansk. Located in Russia. The effort took place between Feb 8th, 1941 and April 21st, 1942. The battle was very fierce, costing the germans over 3,300 deaths.

Personnel who supported this operation included forces from the Second Army, Luftwaffe, 3rd SS. In addition there were non-military forces from the Organization Todt, Police, Reichsarbeitsdienst and Russian Auxiliary volunteers.

Demjansk Shield Design
The design of the badge is very interesting. The cloth portion is in the shape of an oval. The metal portion follows the same general shape but with many more components. It consists of what appears to be a medieval shield with two tower ends at the top. An eagle clutching a swastika resides on top of that. The Swastika is enclosed in a wreath. The claws of the eagle are clearly visible. The head faces left and the wings are facing in a downward slope.

The top of the shield bears the word "DEMJANSK" in raised letters. Below that is a single propellor aircraft flying between two crossed swords. The year 1942 is written in raised letters by the handles of the swords.

The back of the badge was often covered with a piece of paperthat was glued in place.

Demjansk Shield qualification criteria The criteria for receiving the award included the following requirements: RULES 1 To serve over 60 days in the area of combat. 2 To have been wounded while in combat or while serving in the area. 3 To demonstrate acts of bravey while in combat or while serving in the area and have earned an award for it. 4 To Have made over 50 flights over the area in a direct combat role attacking enemy troops on the ground - This rule applied to Luftwaffe personnel. 5 To have participated in at least fifty missions where the aircraft landed in order to resupply ground troops - This rule applies to Luftwaffe personnel. The Demjansk shield was issued with an award document. An example of such document is pictured here, It is important to note that the appearance of the document was not standardized. It is possible to have a document that does not look like the one here. Some of the characteristics in common among all versions of the award document include the signature of the commander recommending the award, the state seal and the name of the award.

This is German WWII Demjansk battle shield. Metal construction affixed to a wool piece of cloth. The shield was worn on the sleeve of the uniform. It was attached with a thread and needle. The color of the back cloth represented the branch of service to which the award was given. The exmaple shown here is an Army version.

The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting world of military collectibles. The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military collectible's price guide, and anatomical breakdown of each piece enhances the visitor's experience. Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.

By the Numbers
It is hard to determine the exact number of Demjansk shields that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to find how many shields were actually issued.

There were a total of 100,000 shields issued during the war. The total number is divided among the different branches of the service. The author does not know the breakdown.

Collecting Third Reich Shields
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies. Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.

In trying to determine if you should collect Demjansk shields there are certain factors that should be considered. The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Demjansk shields.

WWII German Demnjansk Shield - 1 This is a German WWII Demjansk shield without the wool backing.

WWII German Demnjansk Shield - 2 This is a German WWII Demjansk shield without the wool backing.

This award is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.