German DRK Red Cross Zinc Helper’s Badge

Roughly, 30mm diameter, nicely convexed, die struck zinc alloy brooch with a silver wash and black, white and red painted finishes. The brooch features a black painted circular outer border with embossed silver washed Gothic script, “Deutsches Rotes Kreuz Helferin”, (German Red Cross Helper), encompassing a white painted circular inner field with a central red painted Greek style cross. The solid reverse features embossed script, “Ges. Gesch.”, indicating, Gesetzlich Geschützt, (Protected by Law), and manufacturers initials of a stylized GB. The reverse also has a small soldered hinge, a thin round horizontal pin and a soldered catch all intact.

The DRK, Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (German Red Cross), was a voluntary civil assistance organization that was originally instituted in 1864 and was officially acknowledged by the Geneva Convention on July 27TH 1929. On December 9TH 1937 the DRK gained the status of a legally recognized organization by the NSDAP. As with other essential services in Third Reich Germany the DRK came under control of the NSDAP in late 1938 under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior Social Welfare Organization. Female DRK personnel were issued an active service brooch to be worn as a duty badge at the nape of the neck of the service uniform. The active service brooches came in both circular and oval versions and assorted minor variations depending on the rank/position level of the recipient.