Bidding on 1464 lots has ended on 10th July 2022. 80% of all lots sold
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A nice document grouping to the Knight's Cross winner Hauptmann Ernst Ebeling serving as a bomber with Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor". Awarded the Knight's Cross on 20. March 1945. By the end of the war, he had flown 336 sorties.
Certificate to Luftwaffe Honor Goblet. Issued on 18.10.1942. Facsimile signature by Hermann Göring and hand-signed by General der Flieger Gustav Kastner-Kirdorf, German Cross in Silver winner. Used condition.
Certificate to Squadron Clasp for Kampfflieger in Gold with Pendant. Issued on 5.7.1943. Hand-signed by Major Fritz Pockrandt, German Cross in Gold winner.
A small certificate that allows him to wear the "300" -mission- pendant. Field made. Issued on 18.11.1944. Hand-signed by Major Fritz Pockrandt, German Cross in Gold winner.
Certificate to Squadron Clasp for Kampfflieger in Gold. Issued on 27.8.1942. Hand-signed by Oberst Paul Weitkus, Knight's Cross winner.
Certificate to 1939 Iron Cross 1st Class. Issued on 28.11.1941. Hand-signed by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds winner.
Certificate to 1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class. Issued on 8.10.1941. Hand-signed by General der Flieger Bruno Loerzer, Pour le Mérite and Knight's Cross winner.
Two congratulatory telegrams for the award of the Knight's Cross. Both dated "23.3.1945". Sent by Generaloberst Stumpff and Oberst Freiherr von Wangenheim.
Four period time documents and two postwar documents. Among them is a document listing all his awards. Dated "2.7.1945". Hand-signed by a Hauptmann as well as a Major.
22 Luftwaffe photos. Among them are very nice shots and two excellent portrait photos of him. Also, photos show him with the German Cross in Gold.
Luftwaffe membership card. Numbered "23896".
Good condition. Signs of use.
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Furthermore photocopies of his flight book, his achievement book, photos, and several award certificates. Please have a look at the pictures. We have already offered these documents in our 26th Contemporary History Auction (item number 2000000311640).
NAME
Knights Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross
DATE OF INSTITUTION
1. September 1939 as the third and new grade of the re-instituted Order of the Iron Cross
AWARD CRITERIA
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for exceptional bravery in the face of the enemy and for outstanding merit in troop leadership. The awarding required the previous awarding of the two lower grades. The Knights Cross was solely awarded by the Führer upon the proposal of the soldiers unit and issued by the Heerespersonalamt. The Knights Crosses were stored at the Ordenskanzlei in Berlin, to be sent to the awardee after approval. There were no Knights Crosses stored at any level of the Wehrmacht before the end of April 1945.
MANUFACTURERS
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was produced by seven manufacturers, not including variations amongst the individual companies. The Knights Crosses can be found either unmarked (early Juncker and 3/4 Ring), with a silver content mark, with an LDO number (L/12 and L/52), and later on with the company’s Präsidialkanzlei number (2, 20, 65, and 4). Private sales were forbidden after October 1941.
AWARD NUMBERS
Accurate numbers are not known but the closest estimation is around 7,200, and most likely another couple of hundred on stock at the Präsidialkanzlei.
AWARD DOCUMENTS
The awardee received a preliminary document in A5 format and issued in the name of the Führer by the responsible personnel offices of the three branches of the Wehrmacht. The formal document (Große Mappe) was issued later and only until date of late 1942 / early 1943 due to the huge backlog.
WEARING METHOD
The Knights Cross was worn around the neck on a wider red white and black ribbon which came within the black award case of the Knights Cross.