Luftschutz-Ehrenzeichen 1. Stufe

The Air Warden Honour Award 1st Class (Luftschutz-Ehrenzeichen 1e Stufe) has got the shape of a cross with 4 wide rounded pointes, with in the centre a large swastika. The 4 arms of the cross have a pebbled surface with smooth outer edges. Underneath these arms is a flat circle placed with slightly higher edges and in the flat part of this circle stands the text “Für Verdienste im Luftschutz.” At the reverse the 4 arms got the same pebbled surface and in the tip of the left arm stands the number 19 and in the tip of the right arm 38. This refers to 1938, the year of institution. The cross is made of zinc or tombak and is afterwards gilded. At the top is a small lip placed which hold a connection strip that connects the cross with the little ring of the ribbon. The broad ribbon consists of a wide violet coloured stripe at the centre, flanked by a small red, white and black stripe.

The Air Warden Honour Award 1st Class was awarded for extraordinary bravery and service in the protection of the German civil population. During the entire war this cross is only awarded 150 times, which made it a very exclusive award. It was not necessary for the recipient to already have been awarded with the 2nd Class medal before he could get the cross of the 1st Class. However when a recipient owned the cross of the 1st Class, it was forbidden to wear the 2nd Class medal. The Air Warden Honour Award 1st Class was worn on the left breast pocket and was awarded in a box where the award name is stencilled on. Together with the awarding came a standard award document and the awarding was notated in the Soldbuch. The recommendations for this award wend to the Reichministerium der Luftfahrt and here was decided if the recommended recipient should be awarded with the cross of the 1st Class.