Slovak Badge of Honor for Service on the Eastern Front

[Miro]

Very nice badge with correct hardware. For the one who holds them first time, is quite surprising that they are visibly smaller than their german counterparts.

These can be found here in Slovakia for € 100 - 120, but I still consider them quite rare. Slovakia was the smallest german ally with only one combat division and one reserve division.

And lets not forget, there were three grades: bronze, silver and combined, with silver sword and wreath while helmet and background was in bronze.

[MAP]

Thanks Miro,

Yes, it is smaller then it's german counterparts. I would say by roughly 1/4th to 1/3rd depending on which badge you are comparing it to. And since I hadn't seen on before it was a great mini research project where I learned what you noted above. Quite interesting. At first I thought that maybe the soldiers were "foreign volunteers" like the Spanish Blues but as you highlight, they were their own army.

And thanks for the clarification on the different grades, I saw an example of the third type but my resources did not indicate that is was a separate grade.

I paid a bit more than the €120 but given that they appear quite rare over here, I'm still happy I picked it up. Definitely looks like it was an issued and worn version instead of a minty unissued version. Do you know if the soldiers wore them in combat like the Germans?

Thanks again for the info.

Regards,

Michael

[Miro]

Yes, correct - Slovakia fought as an army, and as a first German ally to do so.

Slovakia, which is a less known fact, is together with German and Polish army, the only army that fought ww2 from the first day of war (9/1/1939). For ww2 buffs wouldn´t be suprising to read, that Germany attacked Poland not only from German territory, but also from northern Slovakia with its right wing (Army Group South) that was heading to Lwów/Lemberg (todays Lviv in Ukraine). Slovak army followed the Germans, but only until they seized the former Slovak territories that were taken by Poland in 1920 and during Munich treaty (in which Poland also shamefully participated) in 1938. For this campaign, very rare medal "Orava-Javorina" (names of retaken regions) was issued.

In Soviet campaign, Slovak Army fought with Army Group South again, on its route to Rostov and then to Caucasus (and back to Kuban bridgehead). Both commanders of Rapid Division, the only Slovak combat division, received the Knights Cross for their actions. Slovak Army ceased to exist as combat force only in 1944. So this badge was surely battle worn.

Because of the fact that Slovakia fought as an army, Slovak citizens were allowed to volunteer for German army - only if they were of ethnic German descent. Practically, only three volunteers are known - Ján Takáč (10th SS Frundsberg), Milan Lorman (4th SS Polizei) and Gustáv Wendrinský, the most successful of them. Wendrinský from Bratislava had Slovak nationality, but his father was ethnic German. Wendrinsky fought in Totenkopf and then in 8th SS Division Florian Geyer as anti tank gunner and with 41 tank kills he became the best single anti tank gunner of ww2. For his actions he received the Knights Cross (1/27/45), as well as the nickname "Cruel Dog from Pressburg" (Pressburg is german name of Bratislava). He died 2/13/45 of head wounds during breakthrough attempt from Budapest Pocket with nearly all of Florian Geyer soldiers (except of 400, who made it from the kessel).

[Miro]

It is quite hard to find the badge on period photos, but not impossible. Here is the group of Slovak officers in region Imerinskaya, summer 1943. The officer in the middle is wearing Slovakian Eastern front Honour badge.

[TrondK]

Have not seen that photo before! Thank you for showing me this.

[MAP]

Thanks Miro for the background and the picture. Great information!

[all1knew]

An outstanding piece of history.

William Kramer