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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 There is a version in existence where the pin and hook construction has been replaced by a screw with a large screw cap.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

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Grid List
Maderholz, Karl Ferdinand Konrad* October 29th, 1885
† March 27th, 1964

Mahncke, Alfred* March 18th, 1888
† January 12th, 1979

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Maier, German* October 1st, 1894
† December 12th, 1951

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Malzacher, Hans* October 14th, 1896
† October 16th, 1974

Marseille, Siegfried Georg Martin* October 10th, 1887
† January 29th, 1944
Plot: 22 Row: 22 Grave: 841

Martin, Franz* August 7th, 1895

Martin, Jacques* June 12th, 1918
† 2008

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Martini, Wolfgang (Generalleutnant)* September 20th, 1891
† January 6th, 1963

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Mascus, Hellmut* March 30th, 1891
† December 17th, 1971

Matthaei, Kurt (Panzerarmee-Nachrichten-Reg.1)* December 25th, 1896
† November 16th, 1976

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Matthiae, Walter* August 3rd, 1880
† June 27th, 1960

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Matzky, Gerhard Ernst Ludwig* March 19th, 1894
† June 9th, 1983

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Mauch, Hans* March 6th, 1906
† January 20th, 1984

Mauterer, Arthur Dr. Ing.* August 31st, 1888
† April 29th, 1969

Maßmann, Siegfried* February 2nd, 1882
† February 15th, 1944

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Medem, Gerhard (General der Pioniere)* October 14th, 1893
† November 16th, 1953
Grave: UNK

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Meendsen-Bohlken, Wilhelm (Konteradmiral)* June 25th, 1897
† August 20th, 1985

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Meise, Wilhelm* August 16th, 1891
† August 17th, 1974

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Meixner, Paul-Hermann* June 4th, 1891
† June 8th, 1950

Menche, Heinz-Eduard* March 6th, 1886
† December 25th, 1961

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Mengersen, Ernst* June 30th, 1912
† November 6th, 1995

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Mentzel, Helmut (Generalleutnant)* June 6th, 1891
† August 11th, 1974

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Merk, Ernst* March 7th, 1903
† June 12th, 1976

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Merker, Otto (Generaldirektor)* June 1st, 1899
† 1966

Merten, Karl-Friedrich* August 15th, 1905
† May 2nd, 1993

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Meyer, Friedrich-August* September 19th, 1899
† January 4th, 1971

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Meyer, Martin* July 4th, 1903

Michelmann, Axel* April 7th, 1892
† 1986

Michels, Alexander* March 17th, 1891
† June 26th, 1968

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Moehle, Karl-Heinz* July 31st, 1910
† November 27th, 1996

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Moll, Josef (29. Panzergrenadier-Division)* September 5th, 1908
† January 7th, 1989

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Moll, Otto Hermann Wilhelm* March 4th, 1915
† May 28th, 1946

Monschau, Richard* May 11th, 1910
† August 18th, 1971

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Moser, Hans* November 20th, 1907

Mrugowsky, Joachim Erns A.* August 15th, 1905
† June 2nd, 1948

Mueller, Ernst (Generalmajor)* December 4th, 1892
† April 16th, 1968

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Muff, Wolfgang (General der Infanterie)* March 15th, 1880
† May 17th, 1947

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Muhr, Eduard (15. Flak-Division)* August 5th, 1893
† December 27th, 1944

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Mussehl, Fritz Leberecht* 1885
† April 1965

Muster, Siegfried* January 15th, 1908

Müller, Erich (Friedrich Krupp AG)* November 2nd, 1892
† April 15th, 1963

Müller, Eugen (General der Artillerie)* July 19th, 1891
† April 24th, 1951

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Müller, Friedrich-Wilhelm* August 29th, 1897
† May 20th, 1947

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Müller, Gerhard Dr.med. (Admiralarzt)* April 11th, 1894
† November 9th, 1981

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Müller, Gottlob* March 17th, 1895
† April 28th, 1945

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Müller, Heinrich (SS-RSHA)* April 28th, 1900
† April 29th, 1945

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Müller, von, Leon (Oberst)* September 13th, 1884
† August 21st, 1975

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Müller-Brunckhorst, Hans* January 14th, 1893
† May 9th, 1968

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Müseler, Wilhelm* 1887
† 1952

Möckel, Helmut* June 21st, 1909
† February 15th, 1945

Möller, Hans (Pionier-Bataillon 258)* August 2nd, 1908
† February 11th, 1943

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Mönnichmeyer , Kurt* September 9th, 1899
† December 5th, 1969

Sources