Original Items: One of a Kind Set. Here we have a somewhat rare item: a German WWII velvet plush material "funeral pillow", used at a soldier's funeral to display the awards they had received during their service. It would be displayed next to a larger funeral pillow with a cover, which usually indicated the branch of service for the soldier.

This example measures about 5 3/4" square, and is in very good condition. There is a large period safety pin on the reverse, which would be used to attach it to the larger pillow or other items at the funeral. Attached to the front of the pillow are the following awards:

- One German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1939) with Ribbon and ribbon pin. This fine example is in very good condition, with a very good condition rayon tri-color ribbon showing some light toning and wear, while the ribbon pin shows some fading. The silver border has a lovely tarnished patina, showing that it is indeed real silver.

- One German WWII Eastern Front Medal (Ostmedaille) with ribbon and ribbon pin. The medal is fully intact, showing a lovely oxidized patina on the silvered portions, and the ribbon and pin are also in great shape. It is maker marked on the ring with Präsidialkanzlei des Führers Lieferant (Presidential Chancellery Supplier) number 93, which represents Richard Simm & Sohne of Gablonz.

- One German German WWII Silver Grade General Assault Badge (Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen). This example is in lovely shape, showing oxidation on both sides, and is a "scoop back" type, which has no maker mark on the reverse.

A wonderful totally genuine funeral pillow award grouping perfect for the German Medal and Insignia collector. Ready to research and display!

More Information on the Awards in this Grouping

There is no more iconic German military award than the Iron Cross. The long history of this order began during the Napoleonic Wars. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia instituted the “Eisernes Kreuz” (Iron Cross) in March of 1813. The award criteria changed somewhat with time, but generally speaking, Iron Crosses could be awarded for individual acts of bravery, or for leadership achievements on the battlefield. The design was created by a Karl Friedrich Schinkel, his choice of the black cross with silver outline was derived from the heraldic emblem of the Teutonic Knights.

There were a number of different type and grades of Iron Cross awards throughout its long history, but the basic details of the most widely awarded grades: The Iron Cross 1st Class and Iron Cross 2nd Class- remained the same. The first class award was a breast badge, with fittings on the reverse to allow it to be worn on the uniform. These fittings varied widely over time and from maker to maker, and could be a simple in and catch, a screw post and retaining disc, or more elaborate setups. The second class award was suspended from a ribbon, originally in the Prussian colors of black and white, later in the Reich colors of black, red and white.

On the original versions of these crosses, in 1813, the front of the iron core of each grade was bare, and only the second class award had ornamentation: a crown over the initials “FW” representing the King, a sprig of oak leaves, and the date 1813. The core was redesigned in 1870, when the cross was re-instituted during the Franco-Prussian War. The reverse ornamentation on the Iron Cross 2nd Class remained the same, but the front of the core on both grades now bore another crown, a “W” representing Kaiser Wilhelm, and the date 1870. This pattern repeated again when the cross was reinstituted for WWI- everything stayed the same, only the date 1870 was replaced with 1914.

The final reinstitution of the cross came in 1939. For this version, the front of the core for both grades bore a swas and the date 1939. The oak leaves, crown and royal initials were removed from the reverse, with only the date 1813 remaining as a reminder of the legacy of this award. In WWII, hundreds of thousands of Iron Cross First Class awards were bestowed, and four and a half million Iron Cross Second Class awards. Iron Crosses were made by a large number of authorized manufacturers. Some variants of these awards were mass produced in huge numbers. Others were made in very limited quantities.

The Eastern Medal (Ostmedaille), officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal (Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42), was a military award of the Wehrmacht which was created by ordinance of Adolf H on 26 May 1942.

The Eastern Medal was awarded to any member of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS "in recognition of experience in the struggle against the Bolshevik enemy and the Russian winter within the period from 15 November 1941 to 15 April 1942." It was also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within the Soviet Union. It was wryly called the Frozen Meat Medal or the "Order of the Frozen Flesh" (Gefrierfleischorden).

The General Assault Badge (German: Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen) was a military decoration awarded during World War II to personnel of the German Army, Waffen-SS and Ordnungspolizei (order police) who supported an infantry attack but were not part of specific infantry units and therefore did not qualify for the Infantry Assault Badge. It was instituted by General Walther von Brauchitsch on 1 June 1940.

Criteria for Award
The medal was originally designed for presentation to combat engineers, as well as members of the artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank who supported infantry units in combat. It could also be awarded to medical personnel attending to battlefield casualties in "close combat conditions". Prior to the introduction of the Tank Destruction Badge, the General Assault Badge could be conferred for the single-handed destruction of tanks or armored vehicles.

Other determining factors for award:
- Ineligibility for the Infantry Assault Badge
- Participation in three infantry or armored attacks on three different days; or
- Participation in three infantry or armored indirect assaults on three different days.