Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German WWII Awards and Insignia, which was brought back from the European theater by a USGI after the war was concluded. Many solders traded these on the way back, and would end up with a pocket full of various different collectible items, and this set represents the typical "haul" one might have come back with. It includes nice variety of items, as well as some things that we have rarely seen before!

This lovely set includes:

- One German WWII War Merit Cross 2nd Class without Swords (Kriegsverdienstkreuz II Klasse ohne Schwertern) with Ribbon, packing, and packet. The medal has a lovely oxidized patina, and it looks to be an mid war example made from plated zinc, still retaining most of the bronze wash. The ribbon is in close to unissued condition, and is threaded through the hanger loop. The original packaging and padding show some tearing and wear, but the text is still mostly legible. The back indicates manufacture by rare maker Katz & Deyhle of Pforzheim.

- One German WWII Austrian Anschluss 13 March 1938 Commemorative Medal, with incorrect ribbon (ribbon is for the 1 October 1938 Sudetenland Medal).

- One German WWII Eastern People's Medal 2nd Class (Ostvolkmedaille II. Klasse) in silver, with the correct green ribbon with white stripes. This is the version without swords, for merit in areas other than combat. 

- One German WWII Heer Army EM/NCO BeVO Embroidered Breast Eagle. It has the correct later pattern gray and green embroidery on a green background, and does not look to have ever been installed on a uniform.

- One German WWII Heer Army DAK Afrikakorps EM/NCO Embroidered Breast Eagle. It has a tan backing with a silver gray embroidered eagle.

- One German WWII Heer Army Sports Shirt Eagle Insignia for M35 Sport Shirt. It has the correct black BeVo embroidered Wehrmachtadler insignia, however the white background has been age toned and stained over the years, so it is almost beige now. Measuring 9 1/4" x 5", it has had the edges folded over and stitched, so this is definitely one removed from a shirt.

- One German WWII Heer Army Schirrmeister Trasport Sergeant specialty badge, showing a golden embroidered Fraktur letter "S" on a round bottle green background.

- One German WWII Heer Army Infantry Radioman Sleeve Badge (Ärmelabzeichen), a white lightning bolt on a green background. The color of the lightning bolt indicates the branch of the army (white = infantry).

- One German WWII Heer Army DAK Afrikakorps Issue Sleeve "Pip" insignia for an Obersoldat, or Senior private. Features silver gray embroidery on a tan HBT background.

- One German WWII Small Heer Wehrmachtadler Emblem, originally soldered to something but now detached.

A wonderful totally genuine grouping perfect for the German collector. Ready to research and display!

War Merit Cross (Kriegsverdienstkreuz) with Swords (for Combat)
This was a decoration of NSDAP Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to military personnel and civilians alike. By the end of the war it was issued in four degrees, and had a related civil decoration. It was created by Adolf AH in October 1939 as a successor to the non-combatant Iron Cross which was used in earlier wars. The award was graded the same as the Iron Cross: War Merit Cross Second Class, War Merit Cross First Class, and Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross. The award had two variants: with swords given to soldiers for exceptional service "not in direct connection with combat", and without swords for meritorious service to civilians in "furtherance of the war effort". As with the Iron Cross, Recipients had to have the lower grade of the award before getting the next level.

Anschluss Commemorative Medal
(German: Die Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938) was a decoration of NSDAP Germany awarded in the interwar period. Instituted on 1 May 1938, the medal commemorated the annexation of Austria to the German Reich, the so-called Anschluss. The move was the first in AH's quest for Lebensraum, and it strengthened German flanks while weakening those of Czechoslovakia. German troops crossed the border on 12 March 1938, without any resistance. The medal, known as the "Anschluss medal", was awarded to all persons, both military and civilian, who contributed to or participated in the annexation. It was also awarded to German State officials and members of the German Wehrmacht and SS who marched into Austria. It was awarded until 31 December 1940, and a total of 318,689 medals were awarded.

The round, highly detailed, die-struck medal was based on the 1938 Party Day Badge and designed by Professor Richard Klein. On the obverse of the medal, symbolic of becoming part of the German realm, a man holding the NSDAP flag stands on a podium bearing the eagle emblem of the "Third Reich"; he assists onto the podium a second man, on whose right hand a broken shackle is seen. On the reverse is the inscription "13. März 1938" (13 March 1938), the date of the Anschluss. The date is surrounded on the outer edge by the words, "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer" ("One People, One Empire, One Leader"). It is suspended from a red ribbon with white-black-white stripes at the edges of the ribbon. It was made of brass or tombak bronze with a silvered matte finish.

German WWII Eastern People's Medal:
Officially termed the "Medal for Gallantry and Merit for Members of the Eastern Peoples" (Tapferkeits und Verdienstauszeichnung für Ostvölker). This was a military and paramilitary award of Germany. Established on 14 July 1942, it was bestowed on personnel from the former Soviet Union (Ostvolk or "Eastern people"), who volunteered to fight alongside German forces. The Medal is sometimes called the Ostvolk Medal or Eastern People's Medal, (Ostvolkmedaille).

The Ostvolk medal features an octagonal (eight pointed) star with a plant pattern in the center. 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.