SS-Ostuf. Osvin Merwald medal ribbon

[keith A]

This is a photograph of Oswin Merwald (left). He appears to have a medal ribbon on his jacket but I cannot make out what it is. He would not qualify for the Ostmedaille because he was at officer training school from November 1941, and I think he did not return to the Eastern Front. Can anyone suggest what it might be?

Also it was suggested that he wears the Ehrenwinkel der Alten Kämpfer on his sleeve but surely he was too young for this distinction (he was born in 1919)?

regards

Keith

[hucks216]

With regards to the first ribbon, could it be a duplicate EK II ribbon, or maybe the ribbon for the Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen? No idea about the other one.

[keith A]

Thanks Hucks. No luck I'm afraid. He was a veteran of "Das Reich" so no West Wall connection.

regards

Keith

[keith A]

I wonder if its the EK II ribbon as you suggest and the Waffen-SS ribbon?

regards

Keith

[hucks216]

I know zero about him, but was he a young recruit in the SS in 1938 so possibly qualify for the Anschluss or Sudetenland Medal?

[keith A]

Cheers mate,

Nope I don't think he was in the SS before 1940, although I have no reliable information pre-June 1940. He appears to have seen a bit of action as a ranker in 1941 but was at officer school before the Winter 1941/42. He won two EKs within a month in September/October 1943 fighting against Italian Army units and Slovene partisans. Quite a ruthless operator, he was censured for burning a village without orders. The photo was taken in February 1944.

regards

Keith