German Military Decorations of World War Two

German Military Decorations of World War Two

On this page are illustrated some examples of decorations awarded to German soldiers in the Second World War. In addition, there are also several awards given to so-called "Ostvölker" or Eastern Peoples - Russians and other peoples of the Soviet Union who served in the German armed forces during that conflict.

Although many of these decorations include the swastika in their design, these are all military awards and do not reflect any Nazi activities or sympathies or other political connotations. The swastika was one of the official symbols of the German state from 1933-45 and was incorporated into everything from flags to high school diplomas.

For more information on the awards of the German armed forces in the Second World War, I recommend the site: Wehrmacht-Awards.com. For information on the German armed forces in the Second World War in general, I recommend Jason Pipes' Feldgrau.com. Another good historical resource is Marcus Wendel's Third Reich Factbook. For biographical information on Germany's military leadership in the war, Michael Miller's Axis Biographical Research is a good resource.

Iron Cross, Second Class
Eisernes Kreuz, II.Klasse


 

"1939" Clasp to the 1914 Iron Cross, Second Class
Spange "1939" zum Eisernen Kreuz, II.Klasse


 

War Merit Cross, Second Class with Swords
Kriegsverdienstkreuz, II.Klasse mit Schwertern


 

Campaign Medal for the Winter Battles of 1941-42
Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42"

This medal was considered as more than just a campaign medal, and was accorded the status of a decoration. It was commonly called the Ostmedaille (East Medal) or the Russian Front Medal, but recipients often referred to it as the "Frozen Meat" Medal.
 

 

Crimea Campaign Shield
Krimschild


 

Close Combat Clasp in Bronze
Nahkampfspange in Bronze


 

Infantry Assault Badge
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen


 

Panzer Battle Badge
Panzerkampfabzeichen


 

General Assault Badge
Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen


 

Wound Badge in Black
Verwundetenbzeichen in Schwarz


 

Bravery and Merit Awards for Eastern Peoples
Tapferkeits- und Verdienstauszeichnungen für Angehörigen der Ostvölker

These medals were awarded with swords for bravery and without for merit. They came in two classes - 1st class (pinback) and 2nd class (on a ribbon). The 1st class came in two grades - gold and silver - and the 2nd class in three grades - gold, silver and bronze. Hence there were ten possible versions of this award. Additionally, unlike German awards such as the Iron Cross, repeat awards of the same grade were possible. Originally only "Eastern Peoples" were eligible, but the criteria were changed to allow awards of the silver grades (1st and 2nd Class) with Swords to German cadre personnel. Notably, this is the only major German award of World War Two that did not incorporate the swastika in its design.



obverse

 

First Class in Gold with Swords

Erste Klasse in Gold mit Schwertern


reverse

obverse

 

First Class in Gold

Erste Klasse in Gold
reverse

obverse

 

First Class in Silver with Swords

Erste Klasse in Silber mit Schwertern


reverse

obverse

 

First Class in Silver

Erste Klasse in Silber
reverse

Second Class Awards for Bravery (with Swords)
Zweite Klasse Tapferkeits-Auszeichnungen (mit Schwertern)
Gold, silver and bronze

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