TracesOfWar needs your help! Every euro, pound or dollar you contribute greatly supports the continuation of this website. Go to stiwot.nl and donate!

Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1.Klasse mit Schwertern

The War Merit Cross 1st. class with swords (Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1. klasse mit Schwertern), also know as the KVK 1 was instituted on 18-10-1939 by Hitler. Like the KVK 2, this award could be awarded to military personal as well as to civilians (m/f) for bravery which was not directly connected with frontline actions. For example for maintenance of frontline vehicles and equipment, outstanding performance by the civil defence and security tasks. The recipient had to have been awarded the KVK 2 before the KVK 1 could be awarded, but on special occasions it was possible that both decorations were awarded at the same time.

This award is identical in design to the KVK 2 with Swords, but is silver washed instead of bronze. The reverse is flat and has a large pin and hook construction. In some examples the mint mark is stamped on the reverse of the award or on the pin itself. There is a version in existence where the pin and hook construction has been replaced by a screw with a large screw cap. This version is similar to the Iron Cross 1 with screw back. In some cases the screw back is marked. One well known manufacturer of this screw back is: Glaser & Sohn from Dresden. (L/58) Some other well know manufacturers of the KVK 1 are Steinhauser & Lück from Lüdenscheid (4), Ferdinand Hoffstädter from Bonn am Rhein (8), Friedrich Orth from Vienna (15), Karl Gschiermeister from Vienna (50), Gottlieb & Wagner from Idar/Oberstein (52), Robert Hauschild from Pforzheim (56), Kerbach & Oesterheld from Dresden (62), Klein & Quenzer from Idar/Oberstein (65), Rudolf Richter from Schlag (89), Wilhelm Deumer WD from Lüdenscheid (L/11), Otto Schickel from Pforzheim (L/15), C.F. Zimmermann from Pforzheim (L/52) and Glaser & Sohn from Dresden (L/58).

The award was presented in a black box with a black filling with a slit to accommodate the pin. For the screw back version the filling was made in the shape of the screw back. The inside of the lid was covered with white silk, the outside bore the silhouette of the award in silver. The medal was awarded with a standard citation. The award was worn on the left breast pocket, just like the Iron Cross 1. It is estimated that a total of 483.603 decorations have been awarded during WWII.

Ahrens, Eberhard Dr. med. (Admiralarzt)* January 13th, 1892
† June 29th, 1945

more
Grid List
Waber, Bernhard Anton* May 20th, 1884
† February 6th, 1945
Plot: 139 Row: 4 Grave: 20

more
Wachtel, Max Karl (Flak-Regiment 155)* June 6th, 1897
† June 18th, 1982

more
Waeger, Kurt* February 6th, 1893
† June 18th, 1952

more
Wagener, Dr. phil. h.c., Otto* April 29th, 1888
† August 9th, 1971

Wagner, Edwin (Pionier-Regiment 544)* June 20th, 1891
† January 19th, 1976

more
Wagner, Hans Volkmar, Dr. med. (Generalstabarzt)* February 18th, 1889
† January 29th, 1952

Wagner, Herbert (132. Infanterie-Division)* January 19th, 1896
† September 5th, 1968

more
Wagner, Hermann (2. Armee)* January 27th, 1898

Wagner, Hermann Dr. Ing. (RAD)* September 25th, 1896
† April 15th, 1970

Wahle, Carl Richard Heinrich* February 7th, 1892
† February 23rd, 1975

more
Waldeck und Pyrmont, Prinz zu, Josias* May 13th, 1896
† November 30th, 1967

more
Waldheim, Kurt Josef* December 21st, 1918
† June 14th, 2007

Walter, Hellmuth* August 26th, 1900
† December 16th, 1980

Walter, Paul* June 21st, 1889
† December 23rd, 1957

Wangenheim, Freiherr von, Eberhard* January 12th, 1880
† January 25th, 1947

more
Wangenheim, Freiherr von, Hubert* November 4th, 1904
† September 3rd, 1973

Warlimont, Walter* October 3rd, 1894
† October 9th, 1976

more
Warzecha, Walter* May 23rd, 1891
† August 30th, 1956
Plot: I 

more
Wecke, Walter* September 30th, 1885
† December 16th, 1943

more
Wegener, Paul* October 1st, 1908
† May 5th, 1993

Wehner, Damian* September 22nd, 1913

Weibrecht, Hans (Waffen SS)* September 23rd, 1911
† April 15th, 1945
Plot: 3-1 Row: 6 Grave: 74

more
Weidinger, Hans* January 31st, 1899
† February 9th, 1977

Weigelt, Johannes* July 24th, 1890
† April 22nd, 1948

Weinknecht, Friedrich (Generalleutnant)* October 5th, 1895
† October 26th, 1964

more
Weise, Erich* August 12th, 1911
† January 1st, 2001

Weiss, Karl* March 2nd, 1897

Weiss, Martin Gottfried* June 3rd, 1905
† May 29th, 1946

Weisse, Kurt (Waffen SS)* October 11th, 1909

more
Wenneker, Paul* February 27th, 1890
† October 17th, 1979

more
Werner-Ehrenfeucht, Heinz Joachim* September 27th, 1894
† February 13th, 1978

more
Wever, Paul* January 28th, 1893
† August 11th, 1944

more
Weyhraük, Heinrich* May 1st, 1915

Weyrauter, Hermann* June 29th, 1904
† March 2nd, 1980

Wiens, Günther* January 2nd, 1901
† March 26th, 1975

Wilck, Hermann Ludwig* October 28th, 1885
† June 10th, 1967

more
Will, Paul* August 16th, 1888
† September 20th, 1968

Wimmer, Wilhelm Georg* September 9th, 1889
† May 15th, 1973

Windisch, Eric Dr. (Waffen SS)* May 14th, 1906
† June 24th, 1981

Winkelmann, Otto Nikolai Ferdinand (SS SchuPo)* September 4th, 1894
† August 24th, 1977

more
Winkhaus, Kurt* September 7th, 1898
† February 6th, 1970

Winkler, Hermann* August 11th, 1888
† January 17th, 1946

more
Winter, Paul (Generalleutnant)* January 29th, 1894
† March 1st, 1970

Wirth, Christian* November 24th, 1885
† May 26th, 1944
Plot: 15 Grave: 716

Witt, Hermann* June 28th, 1892
† December 10th, 1988

Witte, Joachim Franz* February 15th, 1910

Witzell, Karl* October 18th, 1884
† May 31st, 1976

more
Wolf, Karl (Grenadier-Regiment 84)* December 17th, 1913
† 2005

Wolff, Albert* October 31st, 1879
† February 25th, 1967

Wolff, Karl Friedrich Otto "Karele" (Waffen SS)* May 13th, 1900
† July 17th, 1984

more
Wolff, Kurt (Generalleutnant)* July 26th, 1886
† September 28th, 1971

more
Wolff, Ludwig (General der Flieger)* August 31st, 1886
† May 17th, 1950

more
Woyrsch, von, Udo Gustav Wilhelm Egon* July 24th, 1895
† January 14th, 1983

more
Wrede, von, Hermann Freiherr* August 12th, 1887

Sources