German WW2 BDM Proficiency Badge in Bronce 'M1/15'

BDM-Leistungsabzeichen in Bronce(Bund Deutscher Mädel ).

Marked M1/15 Ferdinand Hoffstätter, Bonn am Rhein . 

Individually numbered '8336', this number was unique for each badge and written in the award booklet. 

Used but still very good condition. No  repairs or damages.

These were handed out after completing several physical tests.

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HISTORY:

The proficiency awards were introduced for both the League of German Girls and the Jungmaedel on April 28, 1934. This achievement badge - Leistungsabzeichen in German - was in the shape of the initials "BDM" inside a rectangular frame with a plain red ribbon background for the Jungmaedel and red-white-red for the League of German Girls. Originally, both were in a silver frame with silver letters, but in 1935 a bronze award was added for the League of German Girls. After that, the letters and frame denoted the grade of the award - bronze for the Leistungsabzeichen I or silver for the Leistungsabzeichen II.

The same letters and frame in silver on a solid red background were awarded as the achievement badge of the Jungmaedel until 1940, at which point a special Jungmaedel award was created. This new award, seen in the photo below, took the shape of the letters JM on a solid red background. After the introduction of this award, the frame with the letters BDM on a red-white-red background was only used for the BDM award. The Jungmaedel award only came in one grade.

In order to earn the proficiency clasp, the tests had to be completed within the span of a year, and covered nursing, first aid, political knowledge, and physical and athletic exercises. Members of the Jungmaedel were not allowed to try for their award until their 12th birthday, even though the age they became eligible to join the organization was 10.

More than 115,000 awards of the BDM clasp and 58,000 awards of the JM clasp had been made by 1943. Issued examples are usually numbered on the reverse, but some also have a letter A or B on the back.