THE EAST MEDAL Officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal

With over 3 million of this issued, and many more manufactured,this is a common award, so a comprehensive examination, handled with the usual depth by B&D Publishing, is most welcome. The Eastern Medal, officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal, was a military award of the Wehrmacht which was created by ordinance of Adolf Hitler on 26 May 1942. Awarded to any member of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS who served on the German Eastern Front during the winter campaign, 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”.While wear of Nazi era awards was initially banned in 1945, the Eastern Medal was among those reauthorised for wearing by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1957. Despite it’s large, numerical issuance, genuine examples are now collectable, and modern reproductions litter the internet.