German Awards - Mountain Watch Sign - Auxiliary Police

The service marks of the mountain guard auxiliary police were introduced during World War II, presumably around 1942. The reason for this was the oath of mountain guards after the outbreak of war as police assistants. By the end of the war in 1944, the mountain guard was subordinated even to military units. The mountain guard was actually an organization to help, rescue and streamline alpine land and rough terrain. In Germany, the first mountain guard was created in 1920, and shortly afterwards the mountain emergency service under the roof of the German Red Cross. In 1923, the mountain guard was already divided into 3 departments: Munich, Kimgau and Allga. In Austria, the first mountain rescue service was created in 1896. The Alpine Rescue Committee of Vienna (ARAW) was created there - the first in the world. It was followed by the Alpine Rescue Society in Innsbruck in 1898, the Alpine Rescue Committee in Munich in 1898, Salzburg in 1901 and Graz in 1902. After the National Socialists came to power in 1933, the German Mountain Guard was created during unification. After the Anschluss of Austria in 1938, local associations were also integrated into the German Mountain Guard. In 1939, the mountain guard was also entrusted with the task of protecting nature in the alpine country. Since what year the mountain guard was sworn in as auxiliary police is not known for sure. Service badges donated or to be worn for this purpose are labeled with the appropriate department or area name. Due to the short duration until the end of the war and the few persons who had the right to wear, these signs are very rare. In addition, icons always have a black media number.

The sign is made of a hollow embossed silver-plated sheet of iron. The front side with a raised, silver-plated high eagle with outstretched wings. The descriptive ring along the edge and the crossbar were covered with green glass enamel. Back side with a horizontal, convex non-ferrous metal pin.

Front side:

• The wide outer ring is raised and painted silver both inside and out.
• The inside is green glazed with translucent puncture.
In the
• center, the ring is also interrupted by a glass enameled printing beam.
• A silver high eagle facing left with a wreath in its paws is laid.
• It has a swastika placed on top. Including in the field blackened media number - 303 -.
• The spread wings rise above the edge and consist of 5 stylized feathers.
• Under the wings in the center are green glazed crossbars with a silver inscription :
• To the left of Orel is Tyrol, to the right is Vorarlberg. On the outer ring above the eagle:
• - MOUNTAIN WATCH - BELOW - AUXILIARY POLICE -. The captured, deepened field is smoothly silvered.

Downside:

• The negative print is silver-plated.
• Above the center, at the level of the wings, a pin is soldered using a rounded plate.