My great grandfather was a Dane, living in southern Denmark at the outbreak of WW2. I have been told that he was somehow a member of the German army, and got a medal for effort on the eastern front.
I have been given the medal, but after some research, it seems that this medal was only given to civilians.
Can anybody tell me more about the kriegsverdienstmedaille?
It is not my picture of the medal, but it is identical to it.
It was mostly handed out to civilians (both German and not-German) who worked in the war factories. I would say it's quite likely your great grandfather at one point did work in a war factory.
Does that mean he didn't fight at the Eastern front? Not necessarily, he could have volunteered while working at a factory. We know that Danish volunteers fought at the Eastern front.
