Wehrmacht Long Service Award
Encyclopedia
The Wehrmacht Long Service Award was a military service decoration of Nazi Germany
issued for satisfactory completion of a given years of military service. Each branch of the Wehrmacht (Army, Navy, and Air Force) maintained their own version of the Long Service Award and the decoration was issued for 4 (4th class), 12 (3rd class), 18 (2nd class), 25 (1st class), and 40 (1939 special class) Years of Service. Recipients of lower year awards would wear the decoration simultaneously with higher level decorations.
The Long Service Award was retroactive throughout a service member's career, encompassing Reichswehr
service as well as service dating during and before World War I
. As such, there were a handful of 40 year awards presented, even though the Third Reich itself existed for only twelve.
The Waffen-SS
, considered an integral part of the German armed forces during World War II, maintained their own SS Long Service Award
with similar award criteria to the standard military version. The Nazi Party had a similar award, the NSDAP Long Service Award
which was given in three grades of ten years, fifteen years, and twenty-five years of service.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
issued for satisfactory completion of a given years of military service. Each branch of the Wehrmacht (Army, Navy, and Air Force) maintained their own version of the Long Service Award and the decoration was issued for 4 (4th class), 12 (3rd class), 18 (2nd class), 25 (1st class), and 40 (1939 special class) Years of Service. Recipients of lower year awards would wear the decoration simultaneously with higher level decorations.
The Long Service Award was retroactive throughout a service member's career, encompassing Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
service as well as service dating during and before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. As such, there were a handful of 40 year awards presented, even though the Third Reich itself existed for only twelve.
The Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
, considered an integral part of the German armed forces during World War II, maintained their own SS Long Service Award
SS Long Service Award
SS Long Service Awards were given in grades of four years, eight years, twelve years, twenty-five years, and forty years. On its reverse side, each award had emblazoned the inscription, in German: "Für treue Dienste in der SS"...
with similar award criteria to the standard military version. The Nazi Party had a similar award, the NSDAP Long Service Award
NSDAP Long Service Award
NSDAP Long Service Award were given in three grades of ten years, fifteen years, and twenty-five years of service. On its reverse side, each award had emblazoned the inscription, in German: Treue für Führer und Volk...
which was given in three grades of ten years, fifteen years, and twenty-five years of service.