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Category: Interwar Medals

The Nuremberg Party Day Badge

The Nuremberg Party Day Badge was a highly esteemed political decoration within the NSDAP and the second national award of the party.

The Nuremberg Party Day Badge (or Das Nürnberger Parteiabzeichen von 1929 in German) was a highly esteemed political decoration within the Nazi Party (NSDAP). Recognized as the second national award of the party, it was established through regulations on November 6, 1936, to commemorate the 4th Reichsparteitag (National Party Day) held in Nuremberg from August 1-4, 1929.

Also referred to as the “1929 Nürnberg Party Badge,” this special honor badge was awarded to Nazi Party members who attended the 1929 national rally in Nuremberg. The badge symbolized the “Old Guard” and was prominently worn by high-ranking Nazi leaders, including Adolf Hitler, during subsequent rallies in Nuremberg. Permission to wear the badge was granted by the Gauleiter (Senior district leader), and the right to wear it could be revoked by Hitler or Martin Bormann, the chief of the Nazi Party Chancellery.

In a 1936 order by Hitler regarding Nazi awards, the Nuremberg Party Badge was ranked second, preceded only by the Coburg Badge and followed by the SA Rally Badge of 1931, the Golden Party Badge, and the Blood Order.

The Nuremberg Party Day Badge Design

The badge was to be worn on the left breast side of a uniform and measured 21mm wide by 48mm high. It featured the Nuremberg Castle at the top with the word “Nürnberg” underneath. An eagle perched atop a helmet was depicted in the center, with inscriptions around it reading “1914-1919” and “N.S.D.A.P. 1929 Partei Tag.”

The Danzig Cross

The Danzig Cross or Danziger Kreuz was a Nazi decoration established in the Free City of Danzig prior to its incorporation into Germany.

The Danzig Cross (or Danziger Kreuz in German) was a Nazi decoration established in the Free City of Danzig. Instituted on August 31, 1939, by Danzig Gauleiter Albert Forster, this decoration recognized individuals who contributed significantly to the development of the Nazi Party in Danzig prior to its incorporation into Germany on September 1, 1939.

By December 1939, a total of 88 first-class crosses and 253 second-class crosses had been awarded, most during a ceremony on October 24, 1939. Among the recipients was Hans Frank, who received his award on May 19, 1940.

As a decoration from the National Socialist government of Danzig, the Danzig Cross was recognized as an official state award and could be worn on both Nazi Party and Wehrmacht uniforms. After Germany’s defeat in 1945, all Nazi-era decorations were banned. The Danzig Cross was not re-authorized for wear by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957.

The Danzig Cross Design

The Danzig Cross was designed by Benno von Arent. The cross featured elongated upper and lower arms and was crafted from white enamel with gilt outlines. The top arm and center displayed the coronet and twin cross from the Danzig coat of arms, also in gilt. The reverse side of the cross was plain, marked by the manufacturer Huelse Berlin.

  • Second Class Cross: Measures 43mm in height and 31mm in width. It is attached to a red ribbon with yellow and white stripes along its edges.
  • First Class Cross: Slightly larger at 60mm by 44mm, it is convex and features a pin on the reverse, allowing it to be worn on the left side of the jacket.

The Brunswick Rally Badge

The Brunswick Rally Badge was established in 1936 and was the third badge to be recognized as a national award by the Nazi Party (NSDAP).

The Brunswick Rally Badge, officially known as the Badge of the SA Rally at Brunswick 1931 (or Das Abzeichen vom SA – Treffen in Braunschweig 1931 in German), was the third badge to be recognized as a national award by the Nazi Party (NSDAP).

Established through regulations issued on November 6, 1936, this special Party Honor Badge commemorated the SA Assembly in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, held on October 17-18, 1931.

The Rally Event

The Brunswick rally was a significant joint event involving members of the Sturmabteilung (SA) and Schutzstaffel (SS). It aimed to demonstrate the strength and solidarity of these paramilitary groups in a Germany weary from internal strife and political instability.

Held before Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933, the rally saw a massive participation of 104,000 SA and SS men who marched in a six-hour parade reviewed by Hitler. This event also marked the first inspection of the SA Motor and National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK) units.

The rally was organized by SA-Gruppe Nord under the leadership of then SA-Gruppenführer Viktor Lutze. During the event, the SA pledged their loyalty to Hitler, who in turn expanded the SA by creating 24 new Standarten (regiment-sized formations). Hitler later rewarded Lutze’s loyalty by appointing him as the commander of the SA in 1934, following the purge of Ernst Röhm during the Night of the Long Knives.

The Brunswick Rally Badge Design

The Brunswick Rally Badge was created to commemorate this large-scale rally and honor its participants. To qualify for purchasing and wearing the badge, one had to have officially attended the rally. The badge was worn on the left breast of the uniform and was made in two patterns.

  • Pattern 1: Measuring 37mm wide by 50mm high, it featured the Party eagle at the top and an oak leaf wreath around the edge, with a bow at the bottom. Inside the wreath was inscribed “S—A Treffen Braunschweig 17./18. Oktober 1931.”
  • Pattern 2: Slightly larger at 37mm wide by 52mm high, it retained the same basic design as the first pattern. Early badges were stamped out of tin and silver in color, while later ones were stamped with a solid back and were grey.

Permission to wear the badge had to be confirmed by a senior SA Party leader or higher, and the authorization to wear it could be revoked by SA-Stabschef Viktor Lutze or his successors.

The Frontbann Badge

The Frontbann Badge was introduced in 1932 by the SA Group Berlin-Brandenburg to honor the members of the Frontbann organization.

The Frontbann Badge (or Frontbannabzeichen in German) was introduced in 1932 by the SA Group Berlin-Brandenburg to honor the members of the Frontbann organization.

This badge was awarded to individuals who had joined the Frontbann before December 31, 1927, and who also had been members of the Nazi Party or another right-wing paramilitary group prior to that date. 

In 1933, it was officially recognized as a Nazi Party decoration. However, by the end of 1934, the badge was no longer authorized for wear by members of the NSDAP.

The Frontbann Badge Design

The badge was made of silver, featured a pin-back, and measured 20 mm in diameter.

Its design included a swastika with a German helmet at the center, and the inscription “WIR-WOLLEN-FREI-WERDEN” (“We want to be free”) on the arms of the swastika.

The Nazi Party Long Service Award

The Nazi Party Long Service Award was a distinguished political decoration presented in the form of a badge by the Nazi Party.

The Nazi Party Long Service Award, officially known as Die Dienstauszeichnung der NSDAP in German, was a distinguished political decoration presented in the form of a badge by the Nazi Party.

Instituted on April 2, 1939, by Adolf Hitler, this award recognized long-term service of male and female members of the NSDAP. The decoration was first bestowed on January 30, 1940. 

Due to the Nazi Party’s relatively short existence (1920–1945), the awards were granted before the actual service years were completed. The period from February 1925 to January 1933 was considered the “Kampfzeit” (Time of Struggle), and service during this time was counted double. Continuous service in any Nazi Party organization or formation qualified, with exceptions for up to two years of compulsory military service, military service against the Republican Government in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and German military service post-September 1939.

The Nazi Party Long Service Award Classes

The award featured three classes: ten years (bronze), fifteen years (silver), and twenty-five years (gold).

Ten-Year Award: The ten-year service medal (3rd class) was a bronze medal measuring 43mm, suspended from a dark brown ribbon with two narrow white side stripes. The reverse side featured raised lettering.

Fifteen-Year Award: The fifteen-year service medal (2nd class) had a similar design but was plated in silver and featured dark blue enamel on the cross arms and the center section. The reverse side inscription was in blue enamel with silver lettering. The ribbon was blue with two narrow silver-gray side stripes.

Twenty-Five-Year Award: The twenty-five-year service medal (1st class) was gold-plated with white enamel on the cross arms and center section. The reverse inscription was white enamel with gold lettering. The ribbon was red with white edge stripes and a small gold center stripe. This medal was sometimes awarded posthumously.

Nazi Party Long Service Award - 25 Years.
Nazi Party Long Service Award - 10 Years.
The Nazi Party Long Service Award - Germany Medals, Interwar
The Nazi Party Long Service Award - 15 Years.
Nazi Party Long Service Award - 25 Years.
Nazi Party Long Service Award - 25 Years.

The Nazi Party Long Service Award Design

Each medal bore the inscription “Treue für Führer und Volk” (Loyalty to Leader and People) on the reverse side. The service award was a four-pointed cross with slightly curved arms, featuring a national eagle and an oak leaf wreath at the center.

When awarded to men, the medals were worn on the left breast pocket medal bar. Women wore the award as a neck order or a brooch medal from a 15mm ribbon. On the small ribbon bar, the ribbon included a small national eagle within a wreath in the class-specific color.

All three classes could be worn simultaneously.

The Blood Order or Blutorden

The Blood Order or Blutorden was a highly prestigious Nazi Party decoration established by Adolf Hitler in March 1934.

The Blood Order (or Blutorden in German), formally known as the Decoration in Memory of 9 November 1923 (Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 9. November 1923), was a highly prestigious Nazi Party decoration.

Established by Adolf Hitler in March 1934, it commemorated the failed Beer Hall Putsch of November 9, 1923. 

Initially, the Blood Order was awarded to 1,500 putsch participants who were members of the Nazi Party or its formations before January 1932, or cadets from the Munich Infantry School. These first medals, made of 99% pure silver, were carefully numbered except for those given to Hitler and Göring. Recipients wore the ribbon on the right breast in a rosette form, with the medal sometimes pinned below.

In May 1938, eligibility expanded to include those imprisoned or sentenced to death for Nazi activities before 1933, those severely wounded in service of the Party, Austrian Nazi participants in the 1934 July Putsch, and others at Hitler’s discretion. Reinhard Heydrich was the last posthumous recipient.

The Blood Order or Blutorden Rank

Holders who left the Nazi Party had to return the medal. Among the recipients were 16 women, with fewer than 6,000 total awards given, including the original putsch participants and those from the 1938 extensions.

Hitler’s 1936 “Orders and Awards” decree ranked the Blood Order fifth among top NSDAP honors, after the Coburg Badge, Nürnberg Party Badge of 1929, SA Treffen at Brunswick 1931, and the Golden Party Badge, followed by Gau badges and the Golden HJ Badge.

The Blood Order or Blutorden Design

The medal is silver, featuring an eagle clutching an oak wreath with the date “9. Nov” and “München 1923–1933” inscribed on the obverse. The later medals, struck in 80% silver, carried serial numbers above 1500 and lacked the maker’s name, unlike the initial Type I medals. 

The reverse shows the Feldherrnhalle entrance, a swastika with sun rays, and the motto “UND IHR HABT DOCH GESIEGT” (“And after all, you won”).

The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct

The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct was instituted by King George V in 1930 and initially awarded to Regular Force officers.

The Military Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct is awarded to regular members of the armed forces. It was instituted by King George V in 1930 and replaced the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and the Permanent Forces of the Empire Beyond the Seas Medal.

Initially awarded to Regular Army warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the UK Armed Forces, it also had territorial versions for the British Dominions. In 1947, eligibility was extended to include officers with prior service in the ranks, and since 2016, it includes all regular members who meet the required length of service.

The Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct Design

The medal is crafted in silver, measuring 36 millimeters in diameter.

The obverse features the effigy of the reigning monarch. Two versions were made during the reigns of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. All versions share an ornamented scroll pattern suspender, attached to a bar inscribed “REGULAR ARMY,” affixed with a single-toe claw and a horizontal pin.

The reverse, unchanged across versions, is smooth with a raised rim and bears the inscription “FOR LONG SERVICE AND GOOD CONDUCT” in four lines. The bar’s reverse is smooth and undecorated.

The clasp displays the Army Crest. A silver rosette on the ribbon bar denotes the award of the clasp in undress uniform. The ribbon, identical to that of the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal introduced in June 1916, is 32 millimeters wide and crimson or reddish violet, edged with 3-millimeter-wide white bands.

More British Long Service and Good Conduct Decorations

The British military has instituted several Long Service and Good Conduct Decorations, each honoring the dedication and exemplary service of its personnel across different branches. Here are some other ones from different time periods:

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The Order of the Colonial Empire

The Order of the Colonial Empire was initially a Portuguese order of knighthood established in 1932 to reward services to the colonies.

The Order of the Colonial Empire (or Ordem do Império Colonial in Portuguese) was a Portuguese honor established on 13 April 1932. This colonial order of knighthood recognized the services of soldiers and civilians in the Portuguese colonies in Asia and Africa.

The Order was composed of five grades:

  • Grand Cross: Wore the badge on a sash over the right shoulder and the star on the left chest.
  • Grand Officer: Wore the badge on a necklet and the star on the left chest.
  • Commander: Wore the badge on a necklet and the star on the left chest.
  • Officer: Wore the badge on a ribbon with a rosette on the left chest.
  • Knight: Wore the badge on a ribbon on the left chest.

The Commander grade was removed during the 1960s, and the Order itself was discontinued following the Carnation Revolution in 1974.

The Order of the Colonial Empire Design

The badge featured an enamel Cross of the Order of Christ, silver for Knights and gilt for higher grades, with the lesser Coat of Arms of Portugal in enamel and gilt at the center.

The star was an eight-pointed faceted star, gilt for Grand Cross and Grand Officer, and silver for Commander, with the badge of the Order at the center.

The ribbon of the Order was red with black central and edge stripes.

The Order of Public Instruction

The Order of Public Instruction was established in 1927 and awarded to deserving individuals for high services rendered to education.

The Order of Public Instruction is a Portuguese order of civil merit established in 1927. It honors individuals for significant contributions to education and teaching.

Initially founded in April 1927 as the “Order of Instruction and Benevolence” (Ordem da Instrução e da Benemerência), the order recognized services furthering education and public benevolence that contributed to the nation’s progress. In 1929, the order was restructured into two distinct orders: the “Order of Benevolence,” which evolved into the present-day Order of Merit, and the “Order of Public Instruction,” dedicated to rewarding contributions to education. The original insignia of the Order of Instruction and Benevolence was retained by the Order of Public Instruction.

The 1962 Statute of Honorific Orders refined the criteria for awarding the Order of Public Instruction, focusing on services rendered by educators, school administrators, and other contributors to education. Subsequent legislation solidified its current definition.

The Order of Public Instruction Grades

The Order of Public Instruction is awarded in the following grades:

  • Grand Cross (Grã-Cruz – GCIP)
  • Grand Officer (Grande-Oficial – GOIP)
  • Commander (Comendador – ComIP)
  • Officer (Oficial – OIP)
  • Medal (Medalha – MIP)
  • Honorary Member (Membro Honorário – MHIP)

The Order of Public Instruction Design

The insignia of the Order of Public Instruction features a distinctive plaque and badge.

The obverse is an eight-pointed star with gold enamel for the Grand Cross and Grand Officer, and silver for the Commander. It includes an inner blue enamel star superimposed with the coat of arms of Portugal, surrounded by golden palms and a white enamel scroll with the legend “Instrução Pública” in gold.

The badge consists of two crossed golden palms, and the ribbon is made of golden yellow silk, symbolizing the honor and prestige of the Order.

The Order of Merit (Portugal)

The Order of Merit is awarded those responsible for meritorious acts or services performed in the exercise of any functions.

The Order of Merit (or Ordem do Mérito in Portuguese) is a prestigious Portuguese honorific order that recognizes individuals for meritorious acts or services performed in any capacity, both public and private, demonstrating self-sacrifice for the benefit of the community.

The President of the Portuguese Republic, acting as the Grand Master of the Portuguese Honorific Orders, bestows these decorations. The Order of Merit can be awarded both during a recipient’s lifetime and posthumously, to Portuguese and foreign citizens alike, as well as to localities or institutions that are legal entities governed by public law or recognized for public utility. Recipients have included ambassadors, businesspeople, military personnel, athletes, and musicians.

The Order of Merit traces its origins to April 1927 with the creation of the Order of Instruction and Benefaction (Ordem da Instrução e da Benemerência). This initial order aimed to recognize services furthering education in Portugal. In 1929, it was divided into two distinct orders: the Order of Benefaction, focused on social causes and public assistance, and the Order of Public Instruction. The Order of Benefaction was renamed to the Order of Merit in 1976.

The Order of Merit Grades

The Order of Merit is organized into several classes, listed in descending order of seniority:

  • Grand Cross (Grã-Cruz – GCM)
  • Grand Officer (Grande-Oficial – GOM)
  • Commander (Comendador or Comendadeira – ComM)
  • Officer (Oficial – OM)
  • Medal (Medalha – MedM)
  • Honorary Member (Membro Honorário – MHM)

The Order of Merit Design

The badge features a star or cross with intricate designs symbolizing merit and excellence. Higher classes such as the Grand Cross and Grand Officer include more elaborate decorations, often incorporating gold and enamel work, as well as additional symbols representing the recipient’s contributions to society.

The ribbon of the Order is typically adorned with colors and patterns that signify the Order’s values and history. For instance, the ribbon may feature blue and white stripes, reflecting the traditional colors associated with Portuguese national honors.

The insignia worn by recipients can vary in complexity and design according to their specific class within the Order, with higher ranks displaying more ornate and detailed decorations.