LA MEDALLA MILITAR

[Jacques]

The spanish individual Military Medal is the second highest decoration in Spain. The decoration was awarded to few germans of the Legion Condor during the civil war. An incomplete list does exist but names are lacking. I think that around hundred germans received this order. Most of them were officers, few NCO's, but all got the spanish cross in gold.

This decoration was awarded in Spain directly by General Franco (15) during the Badajas parade. the other were awarded by general von Richthofen before their departure from Spain.

the cross was manufactured by the spanish firm Ega?a, but also by german firms.

It was authorized to be worn on the ribbon bar.

The recipient received a document for that decoration and it was entrered in the individual documents (soldbuch, wehrpass).

[Jacques]

Here is a medal bar

[Jacques]

Ribbon bar

[Jacques]

the document awarded to a german pilot (pic from a book)

If somebody has one to sell

[Jacques]

This decoration worn by a german pilot

[Jacques]

Here is another pic from "Life magazine" showing Hugo Speerle wearing the "Medalla Militar" on the 1939, 6th June Berlin parade day. Note he is dressed with a brown uniform and the spanish army cap. His Spanish cross in gold with diamonds can be seen on his right breast.

[Jacques]

Otl. Seidemann during the parade day in Berlin. Note his spanish cross in gold and the spanish pilot badge.

[Sal Williams]

What a stunning document! I want one much more than I want the actuall medal!

[Jacques]

What a stunning document! I want one much more than I want the actuall medal!

←

Hi SAL

If you are only stunned by the design of the document, try to find one for the "medalla de la campa?a". All the spansih document have quite the same shape, just written info change (rank, name, medal, date of attribution). that's right that these document are very decorative !

jacques

[Sal Williams]

Jacques,

Is that your Medal at the top? How much do these run? Someday I will overtake you in the Spanish stuff race!!!!

Best, Sal

[Jacques]

Jacques,

Is that your Medal at the top? How much do these run? Someday I will overtake you in the Spanish stuff race!!!!  

Best, Sal

←

Yes, the top medal is mine. This medal is hard to find. I wish you good luck ! It costs around 500? now.

For the race, I'll stop when I got one with diamonds !

[Jacques]

Here is one from another forum. This one seems much more elaborated with cut out sides. I see no MM on it. May be a german manufacture.

[Panzerpionier]

Hello to everybody.

I am new here, but we have met before at WH-awards forum. I hope we will learn together about the German intervention in the SCW.

I would like to make some comments about Jacques' words:

-First of all, the Medalla Militar (Military Medal) was the third Spanish award, not the second one according to 1938 Nationalist regulations. The highest award was the Ascenso por M?ritos de Guerra (promotion due to war merits), followed by the Cruz Laureada de San Fernando (Laureated Cross of Saint Ferdinand).

-The Military Medal was a very coveted and scarce award. They were awarded either for single acts of extraordinary bravery (usually posthumously) or for outstanding service in a specific campaign. In the former case the medal was usually awarded few weeks or months after the date of the action, but in the later case it took years or even decades to be awarded, because the merits of the potential recipient were checked thoroughly and the process took a lot of time (perhaps the astonishing slowness of Spanish bureaucracy is a better explanation!).

-Spanish recipients had their Military Medals custom made by renowned jewelers, usually in silver with studded diamonds. Sometimes the medals were presented to the recipients by their comrades or subordinates and usually engraved with the name of the recipient and/or the place and date of the action.

-Most of the medals awarded to German soldiers were mass-produced by renowned manufacturer Industrias Ega?a and conferred prior to the departure of the Legion. Commanders of the Legion (Sperrle, Volkmann, Richthoffen) received custom/deluxe medals with studded diamonds. On the other hand, Martin Harlinghausen's medal seems to be made of silver but without diamonds - it looks Spanish-made to me, so perhaps very distinguished officers received medals that were better than those mass-produced but cheaper than those of the "big bosses".

-As stated before, the Military Medal was a very coveted and scarce award, and it was intended to be worn always as a complete medal, not as a ribbon. It seems that Germans were not properly informed about the wearing and importance of the award. Otherwise they would had not worn them in a ribbon bar with the usual crossed swords (not included in Spanish regulations). Think about this: an non-German Axis soldier awarded with the Knight's Cross wearing a tiny Iron Cross ribbon with crossed swords instead of the complete KC. It does not make sense, right?... Well, German soldiers actually did exactly that with their Military Medals...

-There is a list of 60 German recipients of the Military Medal LC members in a Spanish book, but it seems that many more were awarded. In most cases they were awarded at the end of the war to unit commanders and distinguished officers and NCO's, but a few were awarded posthumously after single or repeated acts of bravery during the war (i.e. Hans-Detlef von Kessel, Hannibald von Moerner). It seems also that the proportion of German recipients of the Military Medal was much higher than that of the Spanish recipients, and of course German soldiers did not have to wait for years to receive their medals. In my opinion, those facts together with the wrong way of wear depreciated their medals somehow.

Best regards

[Jacques]

Thanks for your explanation

It is not in the use of the germans to wear the full decorations in every circumstances, and for sure they do not realized the importance of that decoration !

jacques

[Jacques]

I would like to update this thread about this scarce and interesting decoration. As I said, the german recipients list is not complete and no one knows the exact number of "Medalla Militar" awarded to german LC members. I propose that we share pictures showing this medal clearly worn only by Germans (full medal or ribbon bar, medal bar, soldbuch/wehrpass entry, documents, etc..) in order to list the names.

I begin with the 3 commanders:

Hugo Speerle,

[Jacques]

Helmut Volkmann

(if someone has a photo clearly showing the MM, you're welcome to share)

[Jacques]

Wolfram von Richthofen

[James Clark]

Werner M?lders

[James Clark]

Adolf Galland

[James Clark]

An unknown Oberfeldwebel

[James Clark]

This picture came with a ribbon bar which includes the same awards as the bar in the picture but mounted in a different style.

[Jacques]

Two others

von Funck

Gunther L?tzow

[Jacques]

Hans Seidemann

[Jacques]

Gottardt Handrick

[Jacques]

J?STER