Panzerpionier

... where those missing medals are now. No doubt three rare and authentic Legion Condor medal bars are now being sold somewhere... http://cgi.ebay.es/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...=ADME:B:SS:ES:1

There are some variants made by Industrias Ega?a with different marks, but I don't know which ones were made period or post-war. Perhaps some fellow collectors could post some medal bars with bomb-proof provenances in order to establish a fail-safe rule.

There are some variants made by Industrias Ega?a with different marks, but I don't know which ones were made period or post-war. Perhaps some fellow collectors could post some medal bars with bomb-proof provenances on order to establish a fail-safe rule.

Sorry, I had a mistake. G?ring was awarded the Grand Collar, not the Grand Cross. Some info about the order, including regulations (in Spanish): http://members.fortunecity.es/medallasfalange/pyugo.htm

There are several pictures of Hermann G?ring wearing it floating around, but I can not find one good enough. Some of the lesser grades (click on images for explanations): http://www.coleccionesmilitares.com/medall.../yugoflecha.htm

The flag reads (words between parentheses added by me for a better understanding): 6? BATALLON (de la) U.G.T. PABLO IGLESIAS COMPA?IA (de) AMETRALLADORAS Which mean: 6th BATTALION (of the) U.G.T. PABLO IGLESIAS MACHINE GUN COMPANY The U.G.T. (Union General de Trabajadores, General Workers Union) was the syndicate branch of the socialist party P.S.O.E. (Partido Socialista Obrero Espa?ol, spanish socialist workers party). Both organisations still exist today. What is more, current Spanish governemt is held by P.S.O.E. Thanks to them now we are even more democratic than the countries that invented democracy! Pablo Iglesias was the founder of the P.S.O.E., whose name was taken for the 6th battalion of the U.G.T. Obviously it is a captured republican flag. The machine gun depicted is a pre-SCW Spanish made Hotchkiss, slightly different from the original, French made model (note brass stock instead of handle).

Note German Drohne guy at the right.

I am sure first line reads E.C.I. Vestuario (E.C.I. CLOTHING or E.C.I. WARDROBE). Perhaps second line reads ORDEN 1??? (ORDER 1???). Perhaps the introduction order/regulation year or the manufacturing order number. "Taller" means Workshop and "Talla" means Size.

Markings are barely readable. Could you post the text?

I am far from an expert, but I would say it is post-1939.

The Saint John's eagle is not related to a Republic whatsoever... It was adopted by the Catholic Kings of Spain in the XVth century and re-adopted by General Franco for the Nationalist Spain crest in 1938.

When the Spanish team won a championship in Australia some years ago (perhaps a tennis championship, I can not recall correctly right now), the 1931-1936 Republican anthem was played... surprising both Spanish authorities and staff. Do you think Australian government is left-winged and pro-Republican Spain? What is more, when the Spanish soldiers of the Blue Division sworn loyalty to the swastika-fitted German flag to fight Russian communism, the German military band played the 1931-1936 Republican anthem. I don't know the political agenda of the Australian government, but I am sure the Nazi Germany government was not left-winged and pro-Republican Spain. Those are unnintentional mistakes. It is very difficult to keep updated the information about political changes in other countries. Don't complicate matters for subtleties. Or, as we say in our country, "no busqueis los 5 pies al gato"

According to Spanish regulations, the Medalla de sufrimientos por la Patria was awarded to wounded soldiers and next of kin of dead soldiers, including a economical compensation in both cases, but not to dead soldiers. In my opinion, the medal was awarded by the Nationalist government to the next of kin of the fallen German soldiers, but being unable to know the name of the next of kin, the document was filled with the name of the soldier. Of course, Nationalist government could have contacted its German counterpart to obtain the name of the required person, but that should have delayed the awarding process. This is just a theory, but it explains the contradiction between regulations and actual documents.

http://www.coleccionesmilitares.com/medallas/texto/gcgsp.htm The breast star is much like this http://www.coleccionesmilitares.com/medallas/texto/cgj.htm but with golden sunburst. Best regards

There is no decoration with that name. I understand that you are referring to the "Gran Cruz de Guerra" (Great War Cross) that was awarded to generals.

There is no decoration with that name. I understand that you are referring to the "Gran Cruz de Guerra" (Great War Cross) that was awarded to generals.

This is what I have (not much!): He 115 A-0 D-ANTP He 115 A-0 D-AOHC Source: SALGADO, JUAN CARLOS: HEINKEL HE 115 (I) Quir?n Ediciones. Valladolid, 2002. ISBN 84-87314-91-0 On the other hand, you may know that two additional German seaplanes served in the Spanish Civil War: Junkers Ju 52 W (manned always by German personnel) Arado Ar 95 (Germans handled them to Spanish units) During the WWII Spanish Air Force received also Dornier Do 24 and Heinkel He 114 seaplanes. There is little info about WrNr's of German aircraft sent to Spain. Best regards

The name of the decoration is "Cruz de Guerra con palmas para cabos y soldados" (War Cross with palms for corporals and privates). There was a similar cross without palms that was a lesser award. It was introduced in 1942 and therefore it was not awarded for Spanish Civil War service (1936-1939). Best regards

As Jacques wrote before, that medal is a enlisted men Maria Cristina Cross. It was awarded between 1925 and 1931. After that year it was discontinued, and the recipients had to change the red-white-red-yellow-red-white-red monarchist ribbon for a red-white-red-yellow-purple-white-red republican one; the crown was changed for a republican one, and the three fleur-de-lys in the center disc were removed. Other fleur-de-lys on the cross arms were replaced by castles and lions. The sample above could have been modified as per 1931 regulations, or probably it was made after 1931 as a replacement with all the mentioned changes included. Needless to say that it was not awarded to LC personnel. On the other hand, the SCW era "Cruz de Guerra" (War Cross) is a simplified version of the Maria Cristina Cross breast stars for officers.

The "Legion Condor" Luftwaffe cufftitle was a tradition badge too, worn by personnel of the Kampgfeschwader 53, Flakregiment 9 and Luftnachrichten-Regiment 3.

I agree. I thought that the crest on eagle was that of Nationalist Spain, but definitely it is not. Toledo is a city in Spain with connection to the Spanish Civil War, but perhaps is also a Romanian word. The dagger was made by a renowned German company, and therefore it has a lot of interest indeed.

Definitely not Spanish

Could you post a close-up pic of the "crest on eagle"?

I have never seen something like that. Perhaps it was made to celebrate the liberation of the "Alcazar" of Toledo. The presence of propeller blades, wings may suggest connection to Legion Condor, but in that case I would expect some Luftwaffe emblems or swastikas. The crest is that of Nationalist Spain, but the "crowned FF" monogram is unknown to me.

IMHO the book that best fits your interest on LC uniforms and headgear is Bender's book. See post #3 for a picture of the cover. Uniforms, Organization and History Legion Condor, Roger James Bender, R. James Bender Publishing, San Jose, CA 95153, 1992 ISBN No. 0-912138-50-5. It is out of print, but several copies can be found at reasonable prices. Please note that the text has several errors (I have not found a LC book with a text that is 100% reliable), but it includes hundreds of very good pictures, and pictures never lie