Croatian Order of Merit GrandCross sash badge

The Croatian Order of Merit (to Christians) is a Greek cross with curled ends to the arms, edged with silver and filled with red enamel. A decorative figure of four three stranded loops (a 'Croatian Braid') in the arms of the cross surround the letter 'U', ('Ustase'- the Croatian fascist government) the arms of which enclose a flaming grenade with the chequered shield of Croatia upon it. The sash badge of the Grand Cross comprises the enamelled cross with a square suspension loop on the top arm, the suspender being a tall, narrow silver loop which clips over the bow of the sash. The reverse of the cross is enamelled like the obverse, but with the following characters picked out in relief: '10.1V. ZA ZASLUGE 1942.' The ribbon of the sash is 83 mm wide, and comprises five equal bands, three white and two red, the whole being edged with a 2 mm red stripe.

The Croatian Order of Merit could be received by any citizen of the Independent State of Croatia, (Nezavisna Drzava Hrvatska, or NDH, a fascist state allied with, and backed by, Nazi Germany) for 'acts of heroism, or for advancing the cause of Croatian independence'. The order, which was created on the first anniversary of the formation of the State (10 April 1941 - thus the marking '10.IV.1942' on the award) was issued in five classes, and in two different styles, for Christians and non-Christians (Croatia having a large Moslem population.) The Moslem version of the award replaced the cross with a flower-like six-pointed star, the Croatian Braid running around the points of the star, and forming both the suspension loop at the top and a central circle in which were placed the Ustase 'U' and the flaming grenade badge of Croatia as seen on the Christian version. All classes and versions of the award had the date '10.1V.1942' and the inscription 'ZA ZASLUGE' ('for merit') on the reverse. Limited awards of the decoration were made by the Croatian government to members of the German armed forces.