Bidspirit auction | German WWII 25 Year Faithful

German WWII 25 Year Faithful Service Eastern Front Westwall Medal Set - Set of Third Reich Medals: Eastern Front and Faithful Service Awards This set includes an Eastern Front Medal (Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten) featuring an eagle and swastika above crossed sword and mace on the obverse, with a raised inscription on the reverse; a Wehrmacht Long Service Award medallion depicting an eagle over crossed swords and a helmet; and a Faithful Service Cross, 25-Year grade, in cross form with a central swastika medallion flanked by oak leaf spray arms. The Ostmedaille (Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42) was instituted in 1942 to recognise German and allied troops who endured the first winter campaign against the Soviet Union, a brutal period marked by severe cold-weather casualties and logistical crises; troops derisively nicknamed it the ”Gefrierfleischorden” (frozen meat medal). The Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Dienstauszeichnung) was awarded in graded classes for years of military service, following a system rooted in earlier Imperial German precedents. The Faithful Service Cross (Treuedienst-Ehrenzeichen), 25-year grade, was a civil state honour established in 1938 to recognise long, loyal service in public administration or state-affiliated employment, separate from military decorations.