Záslužný kříž civilní obrany

Cross for the Defence of the Homeland - Polgári honvédelmi érdemkereszt 1944
Landesverteigungskreuz
Civil Home Defence Gross
The cross was established in three stages:
Gold Cross for the Defence of the Fatherland
Silver Cross for Defence of the Fatherland
Bronze Cross for the Defence of the Fatherland
This meritorious cross was established on 01.03. 1944. It was established during a difficult time of war, when Red Army troops were approaching Hungarian territory and Hungarian and German troops were facing attacks by USSR tank divisions.
The cross was intended as a merit and visible reward for the citizens of Hungary who were not conscripted into the army, but joined the Home Guard units and here performed tasks related to the civil protection and defence of the country. That is, rescue work, building shelters for the civilian population and other tasks for the needs and security of the regular army units.
The division of the cross into three grades was intended to prevent inflationary awarding, and this cross rarely appears in the collections of phalierists. The embossing of all the grades is meticulously done and the decoration itself is based on the order's system of decorations awarded from 1922 onwards. However, the difficult wartime period was also reflected in the composition and metal structure of this meritorious cross. At the end of 1944 and from January 1945 the cross is stamped in replacement metals but is gilded, silvered or patinated. Some crosses (see picture) are stamped in light metal (duralumin or aluminium). The size of the cross is 43 mm. On the front side of the cross, the national emblem of Hungary is placed in rays in the central medallion. On the reverse side in the medallion is the inscription:
A HONVÉDELEMÉR 1944
The cross was awarded in a simple etui and each recipient also received a proper document and decree of decoration. The ribbon is red with a central white and green stripe. The ribbon is 40 mm wide and is uniform for all ranks.The Gold Cross was never awarded
Literature:
KLIETMANN K.G. : Pour le Mérité und Tapferkeitsmedaille. Berlin 1966