Verwundetenabzeichen 20 Juli 1944

The Wound Badge 20 July 1944 (Verwundetenabzeichen 20 Juli 1944) was instituted by Hitler to award the 24 persons who were present during the bomb attack on his life. This award was a personal gift from Hitler, to all who were present during this historical moment. On 20 July 1944 at 12:50 there was a bomb explosion in the Wolf’s Lair (Wolfsschanze) in Rattenburg, This was Hitler’s Headquarters in the East. Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg had smuggled a bomb into the chartroom and placed the briefcase where this bomb was hidden in, right beside Hitler. However the briefcase was moved behind a massive table leg by an officer and when the bomb exploded this table leg together with the massive tabletop saved Hitler’s life and he was only lightly wounded. Von Stauffenberg left the room just before the explosion, but was later arrested together with his allies in Berlin and was on 21 July 1944 at 00:15 executed.

Of all the persons who were present during the explosion, there were 4 deadly casualties. This were:

- Stenographer Heinrich Berger
- The deputy of Heusinger, Oberst i. G. Heinz Brandt
- Chef-adjutant Wehrmacht with Hitler, Generalleutnant Rudolf Schmundt
- Chef General Staff Luftwaffe, General der Flieger Günther Korten.

The other present persons were badly or lightly wounded. This were:

- Marine-adjutant with Hitler, Konteradmiral Karl-Jesko von Puttkammer
- Chef General Staff Heer in OKW, General der Infanterie Walther Buhle
- Adjutant from Keitel, Oberstleutnant i. G. Heinz Waizenegger
- The signal officer commander-in-chief Luftwaffe with Hitler,
General der Flieger Karl-Heinrich Bodenschatz
- The deputy Chef General Staff Heer, Generalleutnant Adolf Heusinger
- Adolf Hitler
- Commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht, Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel
- Chef General Staff Wehrmacht, Generaloberst Alfred Jodl
- The deputy Chef General Staff Wehrmacht,
General der Artillerie Walter Warlimont
- Representative Foreign affairs with Hitler,
Ministerialrat Franz Edler von Sonnleithner
- Adjutant from Jodl, Major i. G. Herbert Büchs
- Stenographer, Heinz Buchholz
- The deputy Waffen-SS with Hitler, SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein
- Luftwaffe-adjutant with Hitler, Oberst i. G. Nikolaus von Below
- Adjutant from Hitler, SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Günsche
- Representative commander-in-chief Kriegsmarine with Hitler,
Konteradmiral Ing. Hans-Erich Voss
- Writer Kriegstagebuch, Generalmajor Walter Scherff
- Adjutant from Keitel, Major Ernst John von Freyend
- Admiralty officer in OKW, Kapitän zur See Heinz Assmann
- Adjutant from Hitler, Oberstleutnant i. G. Heinrich Borgmann

The badge is produced by the firm C. E. Juncker from Berlin (L/12) and was just as with the 1939 variant awarded in a black, silver and golden version. The firm Juncker produced in total 100 of these badges from genuine silver. (.800) The award is of the highest quality and each example is hand finished. Who received which version was dependent of the recipient was wounded before and also how many times. The badge was awarded in a black box, with a black velvet base and the lid was covered with white silk. The awarding took place on 02-09-1944.