1939 Iron Cross Award Document-Officer II Jagdkorps
Price: 150
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Description: Approximately 8 1/4″ x 5 7/8″, (21cm x 15cm), weighted paper document with black, printed Gothic/Fraktur script and typed in particulars. The script indicates that, “Oberleutnant Walter Brantner”, was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class in the field on “27.7.1944”, The document has the authorizing original signature of a Generalleutnant as Kdr.General esd II Jagdkorps. The document shows slight yellowing typical of age; very fine overall.
Background: The bestowal of all awards during the Third Reich era, (January 1933-May 1945), was regulated by the Statutes of Titles, Orders and Decorations which was originally revised on January 30TH 1934, with numerous additional revisions as new awards and decorations were introduced. The regulations prescribed the criteria for bestowal and the specific form of wearing all conferred decorations and awards. Regulations of July 1ST 1937 dictated that the sole, legal, authority for bestowal of all decorations and awards lay with Adolf Hitler and the Reichs Chancellery. Although the Statutes of Titles, Orders and Decorations held the ultimate decision in all matters of awards the OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), was given control over the bestowal regulations of all military awards as long as they conformed to the appropriate statute. When bestowed the awards were usually accompanied by a “Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis’ ‘, (Preliminary Possession Certificate), followed by the official award presentation document. Depending on the specific award, bestowal authorization could be initiated by the commander of a Divisional or smaller unit, down to Company level, and the appropriate award information was entered into the recipient’s Soldbuch, (Pay Book), and his permanent Wehr Stammbuch, (Military Service Book), which remained in the possession of the issuing, recruitment, authority. When the proposal for bestowal of an award was initiated the appropriate documentation was required to pass through the predetermined official channels for approval before the actual award was presented. Although a Company commander could propose the bestowal of an award, generally the recommendation had to be authorized by a Divisional or larger unit commander.
