A couple of questions about the SS 25 year service medals!

[SScollector]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone knows what the SS 25-year service medals
were finished with. Was the finish real gold, and was it fire gilded or what?

Also, why do they call them 25 year, instead of 24 year?
I thought it was supposed to be double the 12 year, which would be 24.

Thanks! Chris

[Steve T]

Chris,

The 'Kampfzeit' period and active military service counted as double so service from '25 to '33 would be 16 yrs for anyone enlisted in '25 for example. Add the five years from '33 to institution in '38 and he's up to 21 Years. Then again just for example, 2 years active service counts as double so the guy makes the time for the 25 year Service Award. It's not double the 12 Year award.

An excerpt from my web page which shows my 25 Year Award: ( Link in signature below)

"The SS Dienstauszeichnung (Long Service Honor Award) was instituted on 30 January 1938. On the same day also the statute of the SS service honor was issued, and the text published on Pages 66-67 of the Reichsblatt Part 1 of No 8, published Berlin, 30 January 1938.

The award is an acknowledgment for faithful and true services of SS members in the SS-Verfügungstruppen, SS-Totenkopfverbänden und SS-Junkerschulen. (Other SS personel were eligible to recieve the NSDAP Long Service awards.)

The four classes of awards were designed by Professor Karl Diebitsch of Munich.
The grades are awarded to the respective ranks as follows:

1st Class (Gold) for 25 years true service awards to eligable Officers, NCO's and Men
2nd Class (Silver) for 12 years true service awards to eligable Officers, NCO's and Men
3rd Class (Bronze) for 8 years true service awards to eligable Officers, NCO's and Men
4th Class (Black) for 4 yrs true service for eligable NCO's and Men.

Honourable service time from 1925 counted towards this award. I'm not sure of the date but the award was suspended during the war period, probably during 1941.

The 'Kampfzeit' period 1925 to 1933 and active military service counted as double, hence it was possible to accumulate enough eligible service years to recieve the 25 Year Long Service award in the 12 year period"

The awards are a gilt, not gold. The gilt can vary from a yellow to almost a rose gold color gilt.

[Robin Lumsden]

There's no 'magic' answer about the construction of these SS awards. They were finished in exactly the same way as the common Faithful Service Crosses. The silvering, frosting and gilding was exactly the same.

[SScollector]

Thanks for the help guys!