Original German WWII Medal and Insignia Grouping with War Merit Cross 2nd Class & Eastern Medal – 9 Items Original Items

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German WWII Insignia & Awards, which was brought back from the European theater by a USGI after the war was concluded. It includes some a wide variety of medals and insignia, including a War Merit Cross, and Eastern Front Medal, a Hindenberg Cross, and more!

This lovely set includes:

– One Pre-WWII German WWI Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (Hindenburg Cross) Medal with Swords (for Combat) with ribbon. This example is in very good condition, maker marked on the back with an ERK logo.

– One German WWII War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Ribbon. In really good cosmetic shape with a maker mark of 52 on the ring, for maker Gottlieb & Wagner of Idar-Oberstein a.d. Nahe. The medal looks to be made from brass, and has a lovely oxidized patina, with the ribbon is in great shape.

– One German WWII Eastern Front Medal (Ostmedaille) with ribbon. The medal shows signs of minor wear and has minor surface oxidation and build-up. The ribbon is was previously glued in place, and still shows glue residue.

– One Original German WWIIDeutsche Reichsbahn National Railroad Official’s Collar Tab (Kragenspiegel)

 – One German WWII Kriegsmarine Machine Engine Enlisted Career Sleeve Insignia (Maschinen Engine Laufbahnabzeichen). When made this had a yellow embroidered gear on a dark navy blue backing, but the yellow has faded to an almost tan color.

– One German WWII Luftwaffe Flak Artillery Personnel Trade Badge (Flakartillerie Tätigkeitsabzeichen). Embroidered in silver/gray on charcoal, this badge is a uniform cutoff, and is in used condition, partly cut through in the center.

– One German WWII Luftwaffe Visor Cap Insignia: Aluminum Combined “Winged Oak Wreath” and Cockade.

– One German WWII Wehrmacht Heer Army Field Uniform BeVo embroidered breast Eagle, gray on green. This has stitch marks and is folded at the edges, indicating that it is a uniform cut-off example.

– One German WWII Kriegsmarine Metal Cap Combined Eagle and Cockade Insignia.

A wonderful totally genuine grouping perfect for the German Medal and Insignia collector.

War Merit Cross 2nd Class (Kriegsverdienstkreuz) with Ribbon
This was a decoration of NSDAP Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to military personnel and civilians alike. By the end of the war it was issued in four degrees, and had a related civil decoration. It was created by Adolf AH in October 1939 as a successor to the non-combatant Iron Cross which was used in earlier wars. The award was graded the same as the Iron Cross: War Merit Cross Second Class, War Merit Cross First Class, and Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross. The award had two variants: with swords given to soldiers for exceptional service “not in direct connection with combat”, and without swords for meritorious service to civilians in “furtherance of the war effort”. As with the Iron Cross, Recipients had to have the lower grade of the award before getting the next level.

Hindenburg Cross with Crossed Swords (for combat):
The Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (German: Das Ehrenkreuz des Weltkriegs 1914/1918), commonly, but incorrectly, known as the Hindenburg Cross was established by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, President of the German Republic, by an order dated 13 July 1934, to commemorate the distinguished deeds of the German people during the First World War. This was Germany’s first official service medal for soldiers of Imperial Germany who had taken part in the war, and where they had since died it was also awarded to their surviving next-of-kin. Shortly after its issuance, the government of NSDAP Germany declared the award as the only official service decoration of the First World War and further forbid the continued wearing of German Free Corps awards on any military or paramilitary uniform of a state or NSDAP Party organization.

The Eastern Medal (Ostmedaille), officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal (Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42), was a military award of the Wehrmacht which was created by ordinance of Adolf H on 26 May 1942.

The Eastern Medal was awarded to any member of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS “in recognition of experience in the struggle against the Bolshevik enemy and the Russian winter within the period from 15 November 1941 to 15 April 1942.” It was also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within the Soviet Union. It was wryly called the Frozen Meat Medal or the “Order of the Frozen Flesh” (Gefrierfleischorden).