SS Long Service Awards Question

[Gary B]

Hi,

I looked thru many of the old threads but I could not find an answer to the following questions, although I believe it has been written about here before....

Anyway, could the 4, 8 and 18 year SS Long Service awards be awarded to an officer? (I recall the 25 was never issued)

I also understand that only one, the highest grade, would be worn, unlike Heer/Luft/Navy long service awards.

Werent some of the LS awards suspended during wartime, but the 4 and 8 year were still awarded?

Were there any restrictions on who was awarded the LS medals, or were all Waffen and Allegemine personnel eligible?

Thanks in advance.

Gary B

[J C Gray]

Hi Gary,
First of all, there was no '18' year SS-Service Award, but there was an award for 12 years service.
The 4 year award was for NCOs & other ranks only, whereas the 8, 12 & 25 year decorations were to be awarded to all ranks.
On bestowal of a further SS-service Award, "the higher grade supercedes a lower grade."
The 12 & 25 year awards were "suspended until further notice" as of January 1940.
On January 30. 1938 the SS-Service Award was established "as an acknowledgement of loyal, unblemished, SS-related service time in the SS-Verfügungstruppen, SS-Totenkopfverbänden and SS-Junkerschulen."
The service time was worked out as follows:-
"(1) Reckoning of service time is also calculated by the actual service time in the Armed Forces and the local Police, including Reservist training and the service time in early approved volunteer units.
(2) A double counting of service time does not take place."
As to the worthiness of an individual for bestowal of the SS-Service Award, "The having of one criminal conviction does not implicitly rule out the bestowal of the SS-Service Award, if the offence is not particularly severe and was not a dishonourable discharge conviction, or if it was already a long time ago and the offender has, since that time, behaved in a perfectly obedient manner."
By January 1940 the award criteria had changed slightly ie.
"The SS-Service Award will be awarded as follows;
4th. Grade on all SS-N.C.O.s and Enlisted Men after completion of 4 years service time, whether he is retiring or he intends to re-enlist.
3rd. Grade on all SS-Officers, N.C.O.s and Enlisted men, taking into account their membership in the Party and its organizations. A minimum of 4 years membership in the SS-V.T. and the SS-T.V. must hereby be mandatory. The service time in the Armed Forces (the Old Army also) as well as the Police will, in accordance with the verbal order of the RF-SS. not be credited."

(Sources; Reichsgesetzblatt, January 1938 / November 1938, Verordungsblatt der Waffen-SS, January 1940, Orden und Ehrenzeichen im Dritten Reich von Heinrich Doehle, 1939 / 1940).

As for the 25 year SS-Service Award never having been awarded, I would be inclined to agree with this, unless evidence to the contrary, such as a period reference to the Kampfzeit counting as double (as is so often claimed in various fora and post war publications) coming to light.
If anyone has any further (period) information on the SS-Service Award after 1940 such as changes in regulations or dates of award to individuals, please post it.

[Gary B]

Dear JC,

Thank you for taking the time to write this very detailed explanation on the awarding of the SS Long service awards. This clears up my questions. As for my error on the SS "18" year LS award I was thinking of the other services LS awards....I rarely venture into SS

Thanks again.

Gary B

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