This is a grouping of award documents with their matching awards, and some with their award documents, consisting of 1) A Special Grade Tank Badge for 25 Panzer Engagements, 2) A Silver Grade Tank Badge with its award certificate, 3) An Iron Cross 1939 First Class, 4) An Iron Cross 1939 Second Class, 5) An Eastern Winter Campaign Medal, 6) A German Black Grade Wound Badge with its award certificate, 7) A set of Wehrmacht Heer (Army) Panzertruppe collar tabs, 8) A Wehrpass, 9) A Tracked Vehicle Wehrmacht Driver’s Licence, 10) A Post War English/German ID Card with an additional passport photograph.
1) A Special Grade Tank Badge for 25 Panzer Engagements; oval shaped silvered zink; the obverse with a border of oak leaves with a tie at the base and a Panzerkampfwagen IV superimposed in the centre on grassy ground, with its left tank track extending over the edge of the badge and a bronzed “25” on the bottom of the badge; the reverse plain with a vertical needle style pin, barrel hinge, and a round wire catch; with two rivets to hold the tank in place - visible on the obverse and reverse; an unmarked example, but displaying the typical manufacturing characteristics of C.E. Juncker manufacture; measuring 47.50 mm (w) x 62.23 mm (h); weighing 37.0 grams.
2) A Silver Grade Tank Badge; oval shaped silvered zink; the obverse with a border of oak leaves with a tie at the base and a Panzerkampfwagen IV superimposed in the centre on grassy ground, with its left tank track extending over the edge of the badge; the reverse plain with a vertical needle style pin, sheet metal hinge, and a round wire catch; maker marked “R.S.” for “Rudolf Souval, Wien” on the reverse; measuring 42.06 mm (w) x 60.01 mm (h); weighing 27.8 grams. The Panzer Badge in Silver certificate is named to Gefreiter (Lance Corporal) Friedrich Czauderna of the 5th Company of Panzer Regiment 15. It is dated to November 15, 1943 and signed by a Hauptmann (Captain), the name is illegible. It measures 208 mm x 296 mm.
3) An Iron Cross 1939 First Class “Eisernes Kreuz 1939 1. Klasse”; a cross pattée of multi-piece construction with a blackened iron core (magnetic) within a ribbed border; the obverse with a raised central mobile swastika with the re-institution date “1939” in raised numbering on the lower arm; the reverse plain, with a slender banjo style vertical pinback, a barrel hinge, and a flat wire catch; maker marked “4” for “Steinhauer & Lück, Lüdenscheid” on the reverse; measuring 44.09 mm (w) x 44.30 mm (h); weighing 18.0 grams.
4) An Iron Cross 1939 Second Class “Eisernes Kreuz 1939 2. Klasse”; a cross pattée of multi-piece construction with a blackened iron core (magnetic) within a ribbed border; on loop for suspension - appears to have been marked, but illegible; with its moderately soiled period original ribbon; the obverse with a raised central mobile swastika with the re-institution date “1939” in raised numbering on the lower arm; the reverse with the original institution date “1813” in raised numbering on the lower arm; measuring 44.19 mm (w) x 44.27 mm (h); weighing 18.1 grams.
5) A Second War German Eastern Winter Campaign Medal “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 medaille”; in silvered and patinated zink; on a loop for suspension - marked “80” for “G.H. Osang, Dresden”; with its period original ribbon; the obverse with a large national eagle on the obverse clutching a swastika (“Hakenkreuz”) and a leftward facing Stahlhelm on the top with horizontally oriented stick grenade; the reverse “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42” (Winter Battle in the East 1941/42) in all capital letters with a crossed sword and laurel wreath on the bottom; measuring 36.44 mm (w) x 45.31 mm (h); weighing 20.5 grams.
6) A Second War Period German Black Grade Wound Badge “Verwundetenabzeichen”; oval shaped blackened tombac; the obverse pebbled with a Stahlhelm in the centre featuring a large mobile swastika on its side superimposed on crossed swords within a wreath of laurel leaves with a tied bow at the bottom; the reverse plain with a vertical needle style pin, barrel hinge and a round wire catch; measuring 36.72 mm (w) x 43.93 mm (h); weighing 12.2 grams. The Wound Badge in Black certificate is named to Gefreiter Czauderna in the same unit as above. He was wounded on January 27, 1944. The document is dated to Pleschen (present-day Pleszew, western Poland) on February 19, 1944. It is signed by an Oberfeldarzt and Chief Medical Officer, the name is illegible. It measures 139 mm x 198 mm.
7) A set of Wehrmacht Heer (Army) Panzertruppe collar tabs; designed for the black Panzer; constructed of black wool and trimmed with pink (Rosa) Waffenfarbe piping; with a stamped aluminum first pattern skull attached to the obverse; with both prongs intact on the reverse; soft buckram core; measuring 33 mm (w) x 66 mm (h).
8) The Wehrpaß is dated to February 5, 1942. It contains a photo of a soldiers’ cemetery and an army discharge certificate in English, dated to June 18, 1945. It measures 105 mm x 146 mm.
9) The Wehrmacht driver’s licence is named to Panzerschütze (tank gunner) Czauderna of the 2nd Company of Panzer Replacement Battalion 15, stationed in Sagan (present-day Żagań, western Poland). It states that Czauderna is eligible to drive an armored track vehicle. The document is dated to July 25, 1942. It measures 97 mm x 141 mm.
10) The post war ID card is dated to Linz, Austria on May 30, 1945. It measures 79 mm x 127 mm. The passport photo is a post war picture, judging from the age of Czauderna, compared to the passport photos in the Wehrpaß and the ID card. It measures 46 mm x 64 mm.
Footnote: Friedrich Czauderna was born on June 24, 1924 in Kunzendorf (in present-day Poland). He was a German citizen with Polish roots. Czauderna volunteered for service in early 1942. Thus he was exempt from RAD (National Labour Service) duty and deployed to the 2nd Company of Panzer Replacement Battalion 15 on May 19, 1942. On October 1 he joined the 2nd Company of Panzer Training Battalion 15. Here Czauderna was promoted to Panzer-Oberschütze (senior tank gunner) on December 1. On January 5, 1943 he was redeployed to the 5th Company of Panzer Regiment 15, stationed on the Eastern Front in the vicinity of Kharkov. From there it slowly retreated to the Ukraine. Czauderna was promoted to Gefreiter (Lance Corporal) on October 1, 1943 and received the Panzer Badge in Silver on November 15. Czauderna was then wounded, shot through the right upper arm, on January 27 or 28, 1944. On February 19, he received the Wound Badge in Black, but only on March 29 was he officially transferred to the convalescent company. He stayed with it until the beginning of 1945. On January 8, 1945 Czauderna joined the 1st Company of the Combat Vehicle Reserve of the Supreme Army Command. He was transferred to his final unit on March 16, the 4th Company of Landesschützen Battalion 872. Czauderna stayed with them until April 25, was discharged and returned home. On June 18, 1945 he was discharged from the Heer again by the Allied forces.