Eastern Medal
The Eastern Medal (German: Ostmedaille), officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal (German: Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42), was a military award of the Wehrmacht which was created by ordinance of Adolf Hitler on 26 May 1942.
| Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (German) | |
|---|---|
Obverse and reverse of the medal | |
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Awarded for | Service in the Soviet Union from 15 November 1941 to 15 April 1942 |
| Country | Germany |
| Presented by | the Führer and Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht |
| Eligibility | Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS personnel |
| Campaign(s) | World War II – Russian Winter |
| Established | 26 May 1942 |
| Last awarded | 4 September 1944 |
| Total | Over 3 million |
Ribbon bar | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | War Merit Cross |
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" (German: Gefrierfleischorden).
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