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Medal for Gallantry and Merit for Members of the Eastern Peoples

Nazi German decoration for Eastern volunteers

Medal for Gallantry and Merit for Members of the Eastern Peoples
Summary

Nazi German decoration for Eastern volunteers

FieldValue
nameMedal for Gallantry and Merit for Members of the Eastern Peoples
Tapferkeits und Verdienstauszeichnung für Ostvölker
imageTapferkeits- und Verdienstauszeichnung für Angehörige der Ostvölker in Silber.jpg
image_size120px
captionOstvolk Medal 2nd class in silver with swords
presenterReich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories and the Wehrmacht
typeMilitary and paramilitary award
eligibilityFormer Soviet citizens under German command
Germans serving in units manned by former Soviet personnel
awarded_forBravery (with swords); or
Merit (without swords)
statusObsolete
established14 July 1942
related
image2[[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Gold BAR.svg120px]]
2nd Class in gold ribbon bar
[[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Silver BAR.svg120px]]
2nd Class in silver ribbon bar
[[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Bronze BAR.svg120px]]
2nd Class in bronze ribbon bar
caption2----

NOTOC Tapferkeits und Verdienstauszeichnung für Ostvölker Germans serving in units manned by former Soviet personnel Merit (without swords) | post-nominals = 2nd Class in gold ribbon bar 2nd Class in silver ribbon bar 2nd Class in bronze ribbon bar

[[Bronislav Kaminski]] wearing the 1st class of the award on his tunic below and to the left of the Iron Cross

Medal for Gallantry and Merit for Members of the Eastern Peoples () was a military and paramilitary award of Nazi Germany. Established on 14 July 1942, it was bestowed on personnel from the former Soviet Union (Ostvolk in German, literally "Eastern people"), who volunteered to fight alongside German forces. The Medal is sometimes called the Ostvolk Medal or Eastern People's Medal, ().

In addition to the Ostvolk medal, eastern volunteers were also eligible for German war medals and badges.

The Ostvolk medal features an octagonal (eight pointed) star with a plant pattern in the centre. There were two classes:

  • 1st class - 50 mm in diameter, attached to the left uniform pocket by a pin and clasp. It could be awarded in gold or silver.
  • 2nd class - 40 mm in diameter worn on a 32 mm wide ribbon from the left chest. It could be awarded in gold, silver or bronze, each having a separate ribbon design:
    • gold: green with a red stripe towards each edge;
    • silver: green with a white stripe towards each edge;
    • bronze: plain green.

Each version of both classes could be awarded either with swords for bravery or without swords for merit.

The 1st class was only awarded to those who had already received the 2nd class although, exceptionally, the two classes could be awarded together. Women, for example nurses, were also eligible for the medal.

From November 1942, German officers and NCOs serving with Ostvolk units were eligible for the 1st class and 2nd class in silver with swords, provided they held the corresponding class of the Iron Cross. In February 1944, German personnel became eligible for the 1st class and 2nd class without swords where they held the corresponding class of the War Merit Cross with swords.

Wear of Nazi era awards was banned in 1945. In 1957 the Eastern People's Medal was among the World War II decorations re-authorised for wear by the Federal Republic of Germany. While many awards were re-designed to remove the swastika, the original Eastern People's Medal could be worn unaltered as it did not bear this symbol.

Classes

Medal for Gallantry and Merit for Members of the Eastern PeoplesI. classII. class... in gold... in silver... in gold... in silver... in bronze
[[File:Eastern People's Medal in gold (Ostvolkmedaille).png120px]]
With swords[[File:Eastern People's Medal in silver (Ostvolkmedaille).jpg120px]]
Without swords[[File:Tapferkeits- und Verdienstauszeichnung für Angehörige der Ostvölker in Silber.jpg70px]]
With swords
Ribbon barwith swords[[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 1Kl Gold swords BAR.svg110px]][[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 1Kl Silver swords BAR.svg110px]][[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Gold swords BAR.svg110px]][[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Silver swords BAR.svg110px]][[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Bronze swords BAR.svg110px]]
without ...[[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 1Kl Gold BAR.svg110px]][[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 1Kl Silver BAR.svg110px]][[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Gold BAR.svg110px]][[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Silver BAR.svg110px]][[File:DEU Ostvolk Medal 2Kl Bronze BAR.svg110px]]

Notes

References

  1. "Ostvolkmedaille". [[TracesOfWar.com]].
  2. Littlejohn, and Dodkins.. "Orders, Decorations, Medals and Badges of the Third Reich.".
  3. Captain H. Taprell Dorling.. "Ribbons and Medals.".
  4. Littlejohn, and Dodkins.. "Orders, Decorations, Medals and Badges of the Third Reich.".
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

military-awards-and-decorations-of-nazi-germany awards-established-in-1942 1942-establishments-in-germany
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