Service award
Service awards have been and are awarded by countries and states to soldiers and civilians who have rendered outstanding services to the country for many years.
Germany
Kingdom of Bavaria
In the Kingdom of Bavaria , the Order of Ludwig could be awarded for 50 years of service and the service award crosses I and II class for 40 and 24 years of service respectively, with officers, doctors and civil servants receiving the crosses of both classes, the first class cross but was also awarded to teams.
Kingdom of Prussia
The military service award in the Kingdom of Prussia was founded in 1825 and could be awarded to NCOs and men in three classes for 9, 15 and 21 years of service. It consisted of an iron, silver or gold buckle with the name F. W. III.on a blue band with a corresponding black, white or yellow border. The service award cross for officers and doctors after 25 years of service, also donated in 1825, was a gold cross on a blue ribbon in the center shield with the name F. W. III.. In the reverse the Roman numeral XXV (25).
The Landwehr service award for service in the Landwehr was donated in 1842 and awarded to officers and men after they had completed their compulsory service if they had participated in a campaign or, in exceptional circumstances, had actively served for three months. It consisted of a Prussian blue ribbon with two small golden Landwehr crosses embroidered on the right and left, in between a gold embroidered monogram F.W.IV.(Friedrich Wilhelm IV.). The tape was pulled over a plate that was soldered to an iron frame. When, on July 4, 1868, another class of the military service award for officers and doctors was donated for 20 years of service, the original award, donated in 1842, was designated as class II and the new award as class I. The first class award consisted of a silver paw cross on a blue ribbon with the monogram WR(Wilhelm Rex) on the front and XX(20 years of service) on the back.
Kingdom of Saxony
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg awarded since 1874, the Service Award , First Class, a golden cross, for 25 years of service to officers and doctors, but for 30 years of service and to NCOs. The 2nd class badge of honor, a silver cross, was awarded to NCOs and crews for 21 years of service. An iron buckle with gold or silver decorations for 15 and 9 years of service was given to NCOs and men. All badges of service were worn on a red ribbon with a blue border.
German Empire 1933 to 1945
The Federal Republic of Germany has not reintroduced service awards.
Austria
- Military service award of the Austrian Empire
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jörg Nimmergut: German medals and decorations until 1945. Munich 1997, p. 1115 f.