Notes to remember:
Materials used: Zinc. Although this badge is marked EWE, the manufacturer remains unknown. Strong file marks (from hand finishing) on the EWE PABs are very characteristic to this manufacturer, however sometimes they stay hidden under the well preserved finish and a closer look is required to notice their presence. More info about EWE is included below the pictures.
Rarity scale: Silver grade 8/10; Bronze grade 7/10.
Fake Alert: new fake version on the market!
EWE: obverse (please note "golden" finish - high quality bronze finish on EWE made badges has a tendency to turn gold over the time)
EWE: reverse
EWE: hinge
EWE: catch
EWE with "Cut out" grass (field modification done by soldier): obverse
EWE with "Cut out" grass (field modification done by soldier): reverse
EWE with "Cut out" grass (field modification done by soldier): hinge
EWE with "Cut out" grass (field modification done by soldier): catch
When I was doing research on EWE, I was searching through dozens of pages of information in the quest for the EWE Company. I have found a few registered businesses with the same name, but to be honest, none of them was fitting the profile of the badge’s maker. I was really disappointed with the whole thing. Finally I decided to change the search strategy. I ceased looking for the EWE Company and tried to understand what EWE means. This took me very far from Germany to the “dark continent” of Africa . EWE is a Kwa language spoken in Ghana and Togo by approximately three million people. Great, but what in the name of God does it have to do with our Panzerkampfabzeichen? EWE is one of the better documented languages of Africa , mainly due to the great work of Diedrich Westermann, who published many dictionaries and grammars of EWE. Diedrich Westermann (1875–1956) was a German missionary, Africanist, and linguist.
In 1927 Westermann published a Practical Orthography of African Languages which became later known as the Westermann script. Subsequently he published the influential and oft-reprinted ‘Practical Phonetics for Students of African Languages’ in collaboration with Ida Ward (1933). He was born in Baden near Bremen and also died there.
Africa was always very important for Germans and their presence in the region was very strong long before Rommel. Many German magazines and newspapers in 20’s and 30’s were constantly publishing their exotic stories from the black continent. Is it possible that one of the stories was about Diedrich Westermann and his EWE culture research? Was this story influential enough for the creator of the EWE PAB to name his company after EWE people and their language? Everybody has to answer to this question on their own; I just found this story interesting enough to share it with you.
