BACKGROUND: The War Merit Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on October 18^TH 1939, in two classes with both classes issued, with and without swords, for award to military personnel and civilians, including females and foreigners, for exemplary service and/or bravery in Germany’s war effort, in a non-combatant role. The addition of swords to the award signified bravery while awards without swords were bestowed for service. Allegedly Hitler specifically chose October 18^TH to establish the War Merit Cross awards to commemorate the October 16^TH-19^TH, 1813 battle of Leipzig, (Battle of Nations), in which the Sixth Coalition, consisting of troops from Russia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Britain, Austria, Prussia and some smaller German States decisively defeated Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grand Armee at Leipzig. With over 600,000 troops involved the 1813 battle of Leipzig was the largest European battle prior to World War One with estimates of between 80,000 and 110,000 casualties. The War Merit Cross series of awards was expanded on August 19^TH 1940, to include a Knight’s Cross of the War Merit Cross for award to personnel who had provided a substantial contribution to the war effort and the War Merit Medal for award to German nationals and foreign civilians who provided exceptional service to the war effort. Of Note: When Hitler reinstituted the Iron Cross series of awards on September 1^ST 1939 he did not resurrect the non-combatants version of the Iron Cross 2^ND class that had been introduced in 1914, with the distinguishing feature being the reverse of the standard ribbon coloration. It is surmised that the War Merit Crosses were intended to replace the 1914 non-combatants Iron Cross. Recipients of a War Merit Cross were permitted, with the proper documentation, to privately purchase a jeweler's copy of the award, at their own expense, if so desired. Personnel who could afford it could opt to buy a jeweler's copy for everyday wear with the actual award being put away for safe keeping. Of Note: The LDO, Leistungsgemeinschaft der Deutschen Ordenshersteller, (Administration of German Medal Manufacturers), began regulating and standardizing the manufacture of German awards in March 1941 as a quality control agent for awards that were intended for retail sale and manufacturers were to use an assigned LDO, "L", code on their products destined for retail sales. Awards that were to be bestowed by the government were also issued an official numerical government contract code known as a, Lieferantnummer, (Contractors Number), that was issued by the Präsidialkanzlei des Führers, (Presidential Council of the Führers), for formally approved manufacturers. The manufacturing firms that were licenced by both the Präsidialkanzlei des Führers and the LDO and would have used the same dies to stamp both the official issue and retail sales types of awards making them virtually indistinguishable from one another except for the markings. When bestowed the War Merit Crosses 1^ST class was usually presented in a specific issue case and protective box. Of Interest: Sometime during the war, (Circa 1942), Leiter der DAF, Deutsche Arbeits Front, (Leader of the German Labor Front), Dr. Robert Ley and Reichsminister für Rüstung und Kriegsrüstung, (Minister of Munitions & Armament), Albert Speer petitioned Hitler to institute a Kriegs-Musterbetriebsfahne, (War, Model Factory Flag), to be bestowed to armaments factories, and as a result their employees, as a reward for and sign of exemplary production performance. These War, Model Factory Flags were similar to the basic DAF organizational flags but incorporated the likeness of a War Merit Cross 1^ST class, without swords, in the upper, right canton. Although the Iron Cross had been used as an emblem on flags the War Merit Cross 1^ST class, without swords, utilized on the War, Model Factory Flags was the only instance of a war medal being used as a symbolic, decorative, addition to a flag of that time period.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Die struck, alloy construction bravery award with a silver wash is in the form of a 1 7/8", (4.7cm), square, Maltese style cross with a circular centerpiece with an embossed, canted, swastika encircled by an oak-leaf wreath to the obverse. The background field of the obverse centerpiece is smooth while the arms of the cross have a pebbled background field with raised, smooth, outer edges. The award retains about 85% of it’s original silver wash with spots of wear to the alloy base. The swastika and outer edges of the award are polished to a high sheen. The plain, reverse has a soldered, block style hinge, a broad, tapered, vertical pin and a heavy soldered catch all intact. The reverse of the pin is well marked with the embossed manufacturer’s formally approved numerical code within a rectangular recess, "50", indicating manufacture by Karl Gschiermeister of Wien. The award comes housed in a roughly, 2 3/4", (7cm), square, 3/4", (2cm), thick, cardboard and wood construction issue case with a simulated, black, grained leather covering. The top lid of the case has an impressed, silvered outline of the War Merit Cross with swords. The case has a magnetic, staggered bar hinge to the reverse and a nickel/silver plated magnetic, spring activated, push button to the obverse. The interior of the case has a black flocking covering to the bottom with a slotted recess to hold the award in place while the interior top lid is lined in white satin. The case is in overall fairly good condition with light chafe wear to the exterior and light age toning to the interior linings.