Where were decorations kept if only the ribbon was displayed?

[Ludwig Wittgenstein]

Hello all,

I have been wondering - given that there are a lot of decorations that were presumably captured before arriving on the market, where would a soldat actually keep the metallic piece of the medal if only the ribbon was usually worn? e.g. if he was wearing ribbons for EK 2, Eastern Front service medal etc, would he carry the actual medal around in a pocket, or what?

[John G.]

Hello all,

I have been wondering - given that there are a lot of decorations that were presumably captured before arriving on the market, where would a soldat actually keep the metallic piece of the medal if only the ribbon was usually worn? e.g. if he was wearing ribbons for EK 2, Eastern Front service medal etc, would he carry the actual medal around in a pocket, or what?

Awards like Iron Cross 2nd cl.; KVK 39 2nd cl.; Ost medals, etc. were normally mailed home and not carried into combat... occasionally a fairly newly awarded one might be found in his pack, pocket, or breadbag....but that would be the exception to the "rule".... most of these souvenir/awards were picked up from unawarded stocks, depots, factories, or out of homes during the occupation or after the combat troops had moved on.... often traded for cigarettes or coffee etc.
John G.

[von thoma]

An anecdote :
Luftwaffe paratrooper Rudolf Witzig's father asked him after he was decorated with EK II in 1940, and go home :
So few money do they have that don't give the medal now, when he saw only a ribbon on his tunic ?
Witzig later told him the procedure of wear these decorations....