History

The Long Service Decoration was instituted on September 9, 1833 by King Wilhelm I. It was conferred upon officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men who rendered long and faithful service. The award was established in two grades, I Class and II Class. The I Class award was conferred upon officers, while the II Class was conferred upon non-commissioned officers and enlisted ranks.

In order to receive the award, an officer had to have actively served for 25 years and was only allowed a one year period of absence. Service time spent as a non-commissioned officer or soldier could be counted in the total time. Time spent as a cadet, in officer training, or as a member of a foreign army could not be counted. non-commissioned officers and enlisted ranks had to have actively served for 20 years of service and were also only allowed to have a one year period of absence. Service rendered during a war counted for twice the time.

On May 27, 1839, the decoration statutes were changed. The new statutes made it possible for non-combat military personnel, such as members of the ministry of war, to also receive the decoration. In addition, the following changes were enacted: time spent on field campaign would be counted twice, recipients of the II Class Cross were granted an allowance, and unexcused absences of less than six months did not disqualify an individual from receiving the decoration.

The obverse of the I Class cross features a large letter 'W' surrounded by a laurel wreath. The reverse of the cross is smooth and unlike the II Class, it has no visible rivets.