Set Eastern Peoples Decoration 2nd Class in Bronze.

Set Eastern Peoples Decoration 2nd Class in Bronze.
Officially designated, Bravery and Merit Decoration for the Eastern People. (Tapferkeits-und Verdienst-Auszeichnung für Angehörige der Ostvölker in Bronze ohne Schwertern und mit Schwertern). This series of awards was instituted on July 14th 1942 to recognize the contribution of volunteers from the Eastern European countries to Germany’s war effort. The awards were introduced in two classes with five grades and were awarded with swords for bravery in combat, or without swords for outstanding service to the war effort. Due to the fact that these awards were introduced relatively late in the war and were usually struck in zinc, many have the wash worn completely away with only the ribbon colors being the indicator of grade. 1) Eastern Peoples Decoration 2nd Class in bronze without swords. Die struck, alloy construction award with a bronze wash is in the form of a thirty-two point sunburst star pattern with a central, embossed, circular laurel leaf wreath encompassing a six petal flower. The reverse has the typical, circular, depression to the center as found on these awards. The top center of the award has an integral, extended, vertical, arm with a looped ring to secure the ribbon suspension ring. The award comes complete with a original piece of green, horizontally ribbed, rayon ribbon. The ribbon has a magnetic sheet metal pin back (residue) device hand stitched to the reverse top edge. 2) Second award (without ribbon) is: Eastern Peoples Decoration 2nd Class in bronze with swords.
Condition: Badges were found on the battlefield that took place in 1945. As the pictures shown.