WWII GERMAN LAPPLAND CAMPAIGN SHIELD -
The Germans issued this shield to members of the armed forces who participated in the Lappland campaign.
Instituted on February or March of 1945. This is a very late war award and was the last of the shields
issued by the German High Command. It was originally meant for members of the 20th Mountain army group.
Lappland Shield anatomy
The design of the Lappland shield consists of a round bottom shield with a flat top. A horizontal bar
comes just before the top and divides the shield on two. At the mid-point, above the bar is found an
eagle. An interesting thing about the bird is that unlike all other badges this one does not have the
Swastika. A map of the area is placed prominentaly in the body of the shield. It is reported that the
head of the eagle may be looking in different directions depending on the manufacturer.
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Lappland Shield Qualifications
Qualifications for earning the shield include:
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Description |
1 |
To have served Six months of service in the area. |
2 |
To have earned a bravery award while fighting in the area. |
3 |
To have participated in either a defensive or offensive action of a major nature while serving in the area.
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4 |
To have suffered wounds while in service in the area. |
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The Lappland shield was issued along with an award document such as the one pictured here.
It is important to note that not all documents were identical. variations can
be found from unit to unit. A few characteristics that all documents would have in common are the
signature of the officer who awarded the shield and the state seal.
Some of the awards were given out after the war ended. In those cases the swastika in the seal was
removed.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German badge worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
badges in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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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.
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By the Numbers
It is hard to determine the exact number of Lappland 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.
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There were a total of over 45,000 shields issued during the war. The exact total amount issued is not known
as the award was given very late in the war.
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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.
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In trying to determine if you should collect Lappland shields there are certain factors that should be
considered.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Lappland shields.
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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.
If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our
WWII German Badges and Awards
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and
Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.
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