War Merit Cross, 2nd Class, with swords

Description

The War Merit Cross 2nd Class was the award that replaced the non-combatant ribbon of the Iron Cross. It was initially liberally presented, damaging its prestige, and the War Merit Medal was introduced in 1941.

The War Merit Cross 2nd Class was a bronze-plated Maltese cross which measured 49mm. It was constructed from various materials, from zinc with a bronzed wash to a few bronze pieces. As the war progressed, the quality of the materials decreased, and as a result, late-war crosses lose their bronze wash with time, yielding a grey appearance.

The cross’s arms on either side featured a flat edge with a textured middle. The obverse central disc displayed a movable swastika encircled by an oak leaf wreath, and the reverse central area featured oak leaves encircling the year 1939. An eyelet was soldered to the upper arm of the cross, through which a ribbon loop with the manufacturer’s mark passed. The cross was accompanied by a 6-inch ribbon featuring alternating bands of red, white, black, white, and red, representing the reversed colours of the Iron Cross. In the combatant grade, a pair of dual-sided military swords was positioned between the arms of the cross.

During formal events or military parades, the Cross was displayed hanging from the ribbon or as part of a collective arrangement. During active duty, the ribbon was worn solely through the second buttonhole of the uniform tunic or on a ribbon bar. If affixed to the buttonhole, it would be positioned behind the ribbon for the Iron Cross 2nd Class, but officially ahead of the Eastern Winter Campaign Medal. Nevertheless, the latter is frequently surpassed by the War Merit Cross owing to its elevated status among combat personnel.

The Cross was delivered in a blue, red, or brown paper envelope featuring the award’s name inscribed in Gothic script. The document provided was unadorned, and like other medals, it lacked specifics regarding the circumstances that warranted the recipient of the Cross.

The War Merit Cross 2nd Class without swords was awarded to those whose contributions supported the war effort, while they were not personally engaged in military activities. This may refer to people, including educators and industrialists, or military personnel involved in occupation duties or serving as guards in prisoner-of-war camps. The War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords was awarded to military personnel for acts of courage not exclusively in combat situations. A grey area existed where individuals were awarded the Cross with Swords when the non-combatant grade was suitable. In contrast, others were conferred the Iron Cross when the War Merit Cross with Swords was more appropriate.

The number of awards for the War Merit Cross with Swords was 6.134.950