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 was established by Hitler on 18 October 1939 to reward wartime contributions outside of direct combat, complementing the Iron Cross rather than replacing it. The Second Class without swords was typically awarded to civilians, administrators, and workers in war-related industries whose efforts supported the German war effort but did not involve frontline service. Given the huge scale of Germany's wartime administrative and industrial mobilisation, this class was one of the most commonly issued decorations of the Third Reich period.