Germany, Wehrmacht. A Cased War Merit Cross, I Class, By Karl Gschiermeister United Republic of each illustrating an anchor surmounted

each illustrating an anchor surmounted by the Imperial crown

The scabbard tip is decorated with longitudinal grooves

McCrae died of pneumonia with "extensive pneumococcus meningitis"

including a Hauptmann tab

He was then placed with the Canadian Labour Pool on December 7

Germany, Wehrmacht. A Cased War Merit Cross, I Class, By Karl Gschiermeister United Republic of each illustrating an anchor surmounted(Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Etui). Constructed of silvered tombak, consisting of a Maltese Cross, the obverse with pebbled arms and a central mobile swastika inside of an oak leaf wreath, the reverse with a barrel hinge and banjo style pinback meeting a flat wire catch, the pinback marked with code 50 for maker Karl Gschiermeister, Wien, measuring 48. 65 mm (w) x 48. 24 mm (h), weighing 17. 1 grams, accompanied by its period original