Service award


A Service award was awarded by a country to a soldier or civilian for long service. It is comparable to a service medal but can be awarded to civilians as well as soldiers.

Germany

Kingdom of Bavaria

  • Königliches Ludwigsorden for 50 years' service.
  • Service Award Cross, first and second class for 40 or 24 years' service - officers, doctors and officials received the cross of both classes, but teams were also awarded first class.

    Nazi Germany

The Nazi Party awarded the NSDAP-Dienstauszeichnung for 25 , 15 and 10 years' service, while the SS awarded a separate SS-Dienstauszeichnung for 4, 8, 12 and 25 years of service.
The Wehrmacht awarded the 4-class Dienstauszeichnung for 4 ; 12 ; 18 and 25 years' service, with oak leaves on the first class for 40 years.
Similarly there was a Loyal Service Medal for active members of the German police or "an administrator" in the police service known as the Polizei Dienstauszeichnung. In addition there was a Service Award for Public Work.

Austrian Empire

From 1849 it awarded a cross made out of cannon-metal for military service.