service in the war effort. It was usually awarded to those workers in factories who significantly exceeded work quotas. The War Merit Medal was awarded to Germans and non-Germans, to men and women. An estimated 4.9 million medals were awarded by the end of the war in Europe. Notable recipients Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross Gottlob Berger Wernher von Braun Walter Brugmann (2-time Knights Cross) Kurt Daluege Georg Johannes Rickhey Walter Dornberger Julius Dorpmüller (2-time Knights Cross) Franz Xaver Dorsch Franz Ritter von Epp Karl Hermann Frank Hans-Georg von Friedeburg Wolf-Heinrich Graf von Helldorff Hans Jüttner Ernst Kaltenbrunner Hans Kammler Wilhelm Kube (Posthumous) Willy Messerschmitt Theo Morell Heinrich Müller Wilhelm Murr Franz Neuhausen Wilhelm Ohnesorge Franz von Papen Oswald Pohl Ferdinand Porsche Fritz Reinhardt Karl-Otto Saur (2-time Knights Cross & Knights Cross in Gold) Walter Schreiber (2-time Knights Cross) Otto Stapf Edmund Veesenmayer Walter Warlimont Otto Winkelmann __ War Merit Cross Alfred Ingemar Berndt (1st class) Josef Blösche (2nd class, with Swords) Karl Böhm (2nd class) Philipp Bouhler (1st class) Hans Busch (2nd class) Friedrich Buchardt (1st class, with Swords) Günther Burstyn (1st class, with Swords) Adolf Butenandt (1st class) Karlfried Graf Dürckheim (2nd class) Karl von Eberstein (1st class, with Swords) Adolf Eichmann (1st class, with Swords) Reinhard Gehlen (1st class, with Swords) Ernst Girzick (2nd class) Eugen Hadamovsky (1st class) Karl Hanke (1st class) Adolf Heusinger (1st class, with Swords) Reinhard Heydrich (Posthumous: 1st class, with Swords) Franz Josef Huber (1st class, with Swords) Friedrich Jeckeln (1st class, with Swords) Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont (2nd class, with Swords) William Joyce (1st class) Hasso von Manteuffel (2nd class) Dr. Josef Mengele (2nd class, with Swords) Wilhelm Mohnke (2nd class, with Swords) Arthur Nebe (1st class, with Swords) Egon von Neindorff (1st class, with Swords) Gustav Adolf Scheel (1st class, with Swords) Walter Schellenberg (1st class, with Swords) Kurt Schmidt (1st class, with Swords) Karl Eberhard Schöngarth (1st class, with Swords) Hermann Senkowsky (1st class) Josef Spacil (1st class, with Swords) Rudolf Toussaint (1st class, with Swords) Siegfried Uiberreither (1st class) Notes References Further reading External links 1939 establishments in Germany 1945 disestablishments in Germany Awards established in 1939 Awards disestablished in 1945 Orders, decorations, and medals of Nazi Germany