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| Merit Cross for War Aid Verdienstkreuz für Kriegshilfe | |
|---|---|
Obverse and reverse of the Merit Cross for War Aid | |
| Type | Military and civil decoration |
| Awarded for | Act contributing to the war effort |
| Presented by | Prussia |
| Campaign(s) | World War I |
| Status | Suppressed 1924 |
| Established | 5 December 1916[1] |
Ribbon of the cross | |
| Order of Wear 1916[2] | |
| Next (higher) | Life Saving Medal |
| Next (lower) | Peacetime awards of the Orders of Hohenzollern, Red Eagle, and Crown |
The Merit Cross for War Aid (German: Verdienstkreuz für Kriegshilfe) was a war decoration of Prussia awarded during World War I. Instituted 5 December 1916, the cross was awarded for patriotic war aid service, without regard to status or rank.[3]
The Merit Cross for War Aid is in the shape of a Maltese cross, typically found made of blackened Kriegsmetall alloy. The obverse of the cross bears a circular central medallion with the crowned cipher of King Wilhelm II. On the reverse the central medallion is inscribed FÜR KRIEGS-HILFSDIENST (For War Aid Merit) above an oak wreath. To the upper arm is attached a loop for suspension from its ribbon.[3]