German War Merit Cross Second Class Without Swords, 1939 This is a War Merit Cross Second Class, without swords, retaining its original red-white-black ribbon. The obverse displays a swastika at center within a wreath, and the reverse carries the date 1939 in a laurel surround, the standard reverse for this class of the decoration. The War Merit Cross was instituted by Hitler in October 1939 to recognize wartime service and contributions made away from combat duty, distinguishing it from the Iron Cross, which was reserved for frontline gallantry. The "without swords" variant was awarded for meritorious civilian or non-combatant service, while the version with swords denoted a role closer to the front. It was issued widely throughout the Wehrmacht, civil administration, and war industries during the Second World War. The War Merit Cross Second Class Without Swords was among the most widely distributed German decorations of the Second World War, granted to civilians, officials, and military personnel whose work supported the war effort without direct combat exposure—administrators, industrial workers, medical staff, and members of organizations such as the Reichsbahn or postal service among them. Its introduction in 1939 reflected the regime's effort to formally recognize the broad mobilization of German society behind the war, extending state honors beyond the battlefield. The distinction from the "with swords" version, reserved for those serving under fire or in immediate proximity to combat, underscored the Nazi state's stratification of wartime contribution and sacrifice.