Service Award

[R. Spaulding]

OK, Ive seen 2 different styles of 25 year service award. Ive seen a maltese cross finished in gold, and a silver cross with a wreath around it, a black schwaztica on it, and "Fur Treue Dienste" on the back.

What are the difference between the two?

Thanks

[Gerd Becker]

OK, Ive seen 2 different styles of 25 year service award. Ive seen a maltese cross finished in gold, and a silver cross with a wreath around it, a black schwaztica on it, and "Fur Treue Dienste" on the back.

What are the difference between the two?

Thanks

I think what you mean, is

1. Long-Service-Award of Police or Military.

2. Treuedienst-Ehrenzeichen for 25 years service (For officials....)



These Long-Service Award exists in several versions for different branches of the Military.

There were:

Long-Service-Award Army, Navy, Airforce (same medals, eagle on the ribbon is different on Airforce-LS)

Long-Service-Award Police

Long-Service-Award Border Coustoms

Treuedienst Ehrenzeichen

Long-Service-Award Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD) different for Men an Women.

The free Town Danzig had their own Long-Service-Awards.

Hope, i didn´t forgot one.

best regards,
Gerd

[R. Spaulding]

wow, thanks

OK, im looking for one that would be issued to the Heer, and Luftwaffe.

[Rick Research]

Military 25 and 12 with army/navy eagles. (This happens to have been navy, but no way to tell simply from the eagles).

BTW, it was IMPOSSIBLE to wear Wehrmacht long service awards higher than the 4 years alone. 12 and 4, 18 and 4, and 25 and 12 were always worn as pairs.

[Rick Research]

Civil service 25 (silver with enamel swastika)

[Rick Research]

Civil service 40 (gold with black enamel swastika)

[R. Spaulding]

Ok, im still confused, which medal would someone who served in the German Army these years:

4 - is coin
12 - is coin
18 - is gold cross
25 - is gold or silver coss?
40 - is?

[Chris Taylor]

Here's a few more photos to illustrate what Rick's said. These are Heer or KM(navy) Long Service medals. Luftwaffe would be the same only witht a Luftwaffe eagle device (flying eagle).



Here's a 4 Year:

[Chris Taylor]

Here's a 4 & 12 Year, which always have to appear together:

[Chris Taylor]

Here's an 18 Year (silver cross) which always has to appear with a 4 Year:

[Chris Taylor]

Here's a 25 Year (gold cross) which always has to appear with a 12 Year:

[Chris Taylor]

A 40 year looks like the 25 year (gold cross), only with Oak leaves below the eagle.

Like this:

[Chris Taylor]

The crosses with the black swastika on them are not for military service. They are civil awards for civil service.

By the way Rick, I LOVE that non-combatant EK bar!

[R. Spaulding]

So are all those Luftwaffe service awards? cause they have the eagle ontop?

And the 40 year is just a 25 year with the extra oakleaf pin under the eagle?

[Chris Taylor]

A 40 Year is a 25 Year with Oak Leaves below the eagle.

Here is one last photo that should clear up the eagle question for you: