WWII German West Wall Medal (Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen) & Ribbon

Authentic WWII German West Wall Medal (Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen). The West Wall Medal was instituted by Adolf Hitler on August 2nd 1939 to recognize military personnel, including civilian employees, who assisted in the planning, construction or defence of German fortifications on the western border. Die struck, tombac construction medal with a bronze wash is in the form of a roughly, 41mm tall, 32mm wide, vertical oval with embossed, oak-leaf wreath edging encompassing a smooth field with an embossed national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in its talons, positioned above a crossed spade and sword which are in turn positioned above a pillbox to the obverse. The reverse also has the embossed, oak-leaf wreath edging which encompasses embossed, Latin script, “Für Arbeit zum Schutze Deutschlands”, (For Work on the Defenses of Germany), on a smooth background field. The medal loop and the ribbon suspension ring are both intact. Included is the original rayon ribbon.