Germany – Third Reich: A pair of veteran bring back awards comprising an Iron Cross 1939 2nd Class without ring stamp, and a Wound Badge 1939, Silver Grade with maker mark ‘65’ to the reverse for Klein & Quenzer of Idar/Oberstein along with two annotated photographs which include the British soldier who brought them back to the UK.
Pair: Iron Cross 1939 2nd Class, no ring stamp, with full length of ribbon; Wound Badge 1939, Silver Grade, with maker mark ‘65’ to the reverse for Klein & Quenzer of Idar/Oberstein.
Condition: wear to paintwork of the obverse of the Iron Cross, overall Very Fine
Along with two photographs presumably of the soldier who brough them back from Germany after the war:
1) of Two British Soldiers in uniform the reverse annotated ‘Dusseldorf 94 Club about 5/10/1946. Fred Widdowson/Left from Bingham, Nottinghamshire, England.
2) of Three British Soldiers in uniform drinking beer, the reverse annotated ‘Dusseldorf, 5-10-46, ’94 Club’ my uncle ‘Fred Widdowson/Left. Bingham, Nottinghamshire.
Adolf Hitler restored the Iron Cross in 1939 as a German decoration (rather than Prussian), and continued the tradition of issuing it in various classes. Legally, it is based on the enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573) of 1st September 1939 Verordnung uber die Erneuerung des Eisernen Kreuzes. (Regulation for the Re-introduction of the Iron Cross). The Iron Cross of World War II was divided into three man series of decorations with an intermediate category, the Knight’s Cross, instituted between the lowest, the Iron Cross, and the highest, the Grand Cross. The Knight’s Cross replaced the Prussian Pour le Merite or “Blue Max”. Hitler did not care for the Pour le Merite, as it was a Prussian order that could be awarded only to officers. The ribbon of the medal (2nd Class and Knight’s Cross) was different from the earlier Iron Crosses in that colour red was used in addition to the traditional black and white (black and where were the colours of Prussia, while black, white and red were the colours of Germany). It is estimated that some four and a half million 2nd Class Iron Crosses were awarded during World War II, and 300,000 of the 1st Class.
The Silver Grade or 2nd Class of the Wound Badge was awarded for being wounded three or four times, or suffering loss of a hand, foot or eye from hostile action (also partial loss of hearing), facial disfigurement or brain damage via hostile action.
