Wehrmacht System of how medals and awards were worn

[gdfuseddie]

Hi, I'm trying to find out what the guidlines and rules were for wearing German Army medals was during the Third Reich, which is proving harder than expected. I've used the search function on this and a few other forums, but can't seem to find any information. I'm specifically trying to find out which awards were deemed to be senior to other when mounted on a medal bar as well as those worn on the tunic pocket.

On a medal bar obviously the Iron Cross 2nd class would take pride of place on the left as you look at it, while long service and occupation medals would be on the right.

As for the awards on the tunic pocket, again the Iron Cross !st class would be seen as more important, so would be higher and central on the pocket. But when it comes to other awards like wound badges, infantry assault badges and DRL sport badges, all very common awards, which were deemed to be more senior and where would they be positioned on the pocket as the pocket began to display more awards as the war went on?

Are there any guidelines or rules of medal wear that lay this out, as surely soldiers didn't just pin them on wherever they liked.

Cheers,

Karl

[Odulf]

Dr. Heinrich Doehle states in his book "Medals and decorations of the Third Reich" (1943) that

Decorations with ribbons: worn on the left breast in the following order from right to left:

1. Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (1939 / 1914)
2. Kriegsverdienst Kreuz with or without swords
3. Ehrenzeichen für deutsche Volkspflege mit Schwertern
4. Medaille für deutsche Volkspflege mit Schwertern
5. Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941-42” (Ostmedaille)
6. Kriegsverdienstmedaille
7. Hohenzollern: Hausorden
8. Preuβen: Roter Adler Orden III. oder IV. Klasse
9. Preuβen: Kronen Orden III. oder IV. Klasse
10. Österreich: Maria-Theresia-Orden
11. Österreich: Leopold-Orden mit der Kriegsdekoration
12. Bayern: Militär Max-Joseph-Orden
13. Bayern: Militär-Sanitäts-Orden
14. Sachsen: Militär-Sankt-Heinrichs-Orden
15. Württemberg: Militär-Verdienstorden
16. Baden: Militärischer Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstorden
17. Preuβen: Goldene Militär-Verdienst-Kreuz
18. Preuβen: Militär-Ehrenzeichen 1. und 2. Klasse am schwarz-weiβen oder am weiβ-schwarzem Band
19. Österreich: Goldene Tapferkeitsmedaille
20. Bayern: Goldene und Silberne Tapferkeitsmedaille
21. Sachsen: Goldene Medaille der Militär-Sankt-Heinrichs-Orden
22. Württemberg: Goldene Militär-Verdienstmedaille
23. Baden: Militär-Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstmedaille
24. Other German Orders and decorations for merit in the World War in precedence of their class and, with the same class, by date of award.
25. Das Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (1935)
26. Österreich: Die Kriegserinnerungsmedaille 1914-1918 (1932)
27. Die Preuβischen Kriegserinnerungsmedaille 1864, das Preuβischen Kriegserinnerungs Kreuz 1866, die Deutsche Kriegsdenkmünze 1870-1871
28. Österreich: Kriegsmedaille
29. Die Südwestafrika-Denkmünze, Kolonial-Denkmünze, China-Denkmünze
30. Schlesier Adler, Kärnter Kreuz (1919), Tiroler Kriegserinnerungsmedaille (1928)
31. Die Rettungsmedaille am Bande
32. Dienstauszeichnungen der Wehrmacht (Österreichischen Militärdienstzeichen)
33. Other State decorations and awards of the NSDAP showing the higher grades first or if within the same grade level the earliest date of the award received takes precedence.
34. Deutsche Olympia-Ehrenzeichen
35. Die Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938
36. Die Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
37. Die Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes
38. Das Deutsche Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen (1939)
39. Die Deutsche Olympia-Erinnerungsmedaille
40. Das Ehrenzeichen des Deutschen Roten Kreuzes
41. Orders and decorations of former German States' rulers in the higher classes or if within the same class level the earliest date of the award received takes precedence.
42. Foreign Orders and decorations in the proper sequence of their receipt.

[Guest Rick Research]

Rules and regulations over time can be found in the ribbon bar devices section (by me) here at GMIC. Regulations were not always followed, and that can help date awards as well.

For instance, as first decreed, the 1939 KVK came before ALL other awards except an Iron Cross. That was soon dropped--in practice more than by regulation. But finding a 1914 EK, 1939 KVK, and a WW1 Hohenzollern House Order with Swords (on "WW1 EK" ribbon) will date a bar to 1941/42.

The Nazis also inexplicably loathed lifesaving awards, which they insulted by dumping back behind Hindenburg Crosses after 1934. Lifesaving medal recipients very often rejected that, and wore their hero medals in pre-Third Reich position.