WW2 German Awards to women

[Paul R]

I was going through my uniformenmarkt and noticed this interesting article which contains photos of women who have won German wartime decorations such as the Iron Cross, Wound Badges, and War Merit Crosses.

Lets see any such items that may reside with your collections! This was printed in 1943

[Paul R]

final page

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Paul.

Very Interesting!!

I see many of them have a connection with the German Red Cross!

Any chance of a better scan of the lady with the wound badge?? (3rd Picture down Second page).

The lady with the ribbon bars and decorations* is from Finland.

* including the Order of the German Eagle.

Kevin in Deva.

[Paul R]

Hi Kev,

Both of these women have the WB. The lower woman has the WB in silver. I had to cut the text for size reasons.

[Paul R]

bigger

[Paul R]

and the other.

She has the EK2, WBiS, and Winter War.

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Paul,

many thanks, this leads to some women in uniform pics mainly WW2 era all counries, you might find it interesting (its in French by the way).

http://militariacollec.free.fr/ident/viewtopic.php?p=20585

There is a shot of a German bird dressed as SS but I thinks its just dress up (no!! not the colour shot you come to first its a black & white shot.

Kevin in Deva.

[Paul R]

Those are some great photos on that link!

[Laurence Strong]

This is a photo Gordon posted somewhere onc.

[nesredep]

Hi

Some Norwegian Frontsisters.

Regards

Nesredep

[Paul R]

Great stuff guys!! Lets keep the stuff coming!! Lets see your decorated women!

Larry, is that a KVK2?

[nesredep]

Hi

A Norwegian Frontsister.

Nesredep

[Paul R]

Nesredep,

What is that badge she is wearing? What was the role of these women?

[nesredep]

Nesredep,

What is that badge she is wearing? What was the role of these women?

Hi

Paul R

The roel was Frontchwester.

Nesredep

[Ulsterman]

The "I am not impressed" look all teenagers have:

[Paul R]

Nesredep ,

So she was an actual combatant?

Ulsterman,

That is a great photo. Does it have a date written on the back?

[Ulsterman]

Nesredep ,

So she was an actual combatant?

Ulsterman,

That is a great photo. Does it have a date written on the back?

It's a reprint form a negative-but @ 1944

[Paul R]

Interesting that she has the DRA badge, versus the NSDAP DRL version.

[Kev in Deva]

Nesredep ,

So she was an actual combatant?

Ulsterman,

That is a great photo. Does it have a date written on the back?

Hallo Gents

With regards this badge, on page 123 of:

GERMAN WORLD WAR 2 MEDALS & POLITICAL AWARDS, THE SATELLITE STATES.

by Mr. CHRIS AILSBY (ISBN 0 711028524).

it says "The badge was instituted in October 1943 by Vidkun Quisling. . . . . . . Women as well as men were eligible. Nurses serving with the combat troops were also entitled to be awarded the badge."

I am not sure if there were any purpose trained female combatants possibly women were armed as a last ditch effort to keep the Soviets from over runningg postions or as a means of self-defence.

This badge has been known to be faked as with most exotic awards of the iii reich period.

Kevin in Deva.

[Paul R]

Thanks for the details, Kev!!

Lets keep the decorated female warrior photos coming!

Paul

[Laurence Strong]

Great stuff guys!! Lets keep the stuff coming!! Lets see your decorated women!

Larry, is that a KVK2?

Yup with swords

[Kev in Deva]

With reference to the Finnish Lady: Fanni Luukkonon.

Please see: http://www.lottamuseo.com/eng/eng_historiaa.htm

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...iid=chix-sphere

From the TIME link :

Monday, Jan. 08, 1940:

"In 1921 Finland organized a women's auxiliary corps and named it for Lotta Sv?rd. Finland's tough and brawny Lottas, 100,000 strong, not only nurse and cook. In wartime they take the places of the mobilized Civic Guardists in fire and police departments.

(NOT FROM THE TIME ARTICLE*)

They staff the hundreds of air and naval observation posts, keep sharp watch for raids by air and sea.

Head of the Lottas is a ruggedly hand some, grey-haired, energetic woman named Fanni Luukkonen. Long a temperance worker and schoolteacher, she has traveled widely, has interested herself in national defense, is a member of the board which assembles and publishes official Finnish documents.

Last week Finnish Commander in Chief Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim announced that three Lottas, Lissa Uurasmaa on the Arctic front, Julia Shemeikka and Julia Nerkuu on the Eastern front, had "remained faithfully at their dangerous posts and are the first Lottas to be killed in action." Said he: "In the name of the Army we pay tribute to their memory."

Lotta ID Card.**

* & ** http://kultuur.elu.ee/ke486_lotad.htm

Last two pictures from: http://www.suomenlottaperinneliitto.fi/lot...ard/jaostot.php

Kevin in Deva.

PS Lotta-sv?rd items, (3 Pages) can be seen at this gallery:

http://www.palasuomenhistoriaa.net/kuvat/l...neet/index.html

from: http://www.palasuomenhistoriaa.net/en/?Lotta-Sv%E4rd

Kevin.

Edited August 18, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello:

While I have no pictures to offer it seems appropriate to mention the following distinguished German woman namely Dipl.Ing. Flugkapitaen Melitta Countess Schenk von Stauffenberg who was awarded the Iron Cross II.Class on 22.Jan.1943 as testpilot for the Luftwaffe. She was the sister in law of Oberst i.G. Claus Graf v. Stauffenberg, married to Alexander Graf Schenk v. Stauffenberg who survived the aftermath of his two brothers coup attempt. She was shot down on 8.Apr.1945 by an American fighter plane in southern Germany, managed to land the plane but died a short time later.

Bernhard H.Holst

[Kev in Deva]

With regards the Norweigen Awards there is also this badge,

known as the Front Line Sisters Badge it is classed as "Extremely Rare" and the picture is taken from:

GERMAN WORLD WAR 2 MEDALS & POLITICAL AWARDS, THE SATELLITE STATES.

by Mr. CHRIS AILSBY (ISBN 0 711028524).

Page 124. " This too was designed like the Front Line Soldier's Badge by Harald Damsleth in 1944 and was only awarded nine times.

It is still virtully unknown, even to the surviving front sisters. No award criteria are known, so it was probably meant to be the standard award for all nurses serving in front-line duties.It is similar to the Front Line Soldier's Badge but slightly more oval. . . .

What relationship this badge had to a Front Line Soldier's Badge is not clear.

Photographic evidence clearly shows Anne Gunhild Moxanes, who served with the "Wiking" Division wearing the Front Line Soldiers Badge. She was also awarded the Iron Cross II Class."

Now I wonder if that could be the lady in post 12 previous??

Kevin in Deva.

Edited August 18, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Jan Arne S]

Hi Guys !

The Norwegian Nurse is AG Moxness .

She was the first not german Lady that awarded the EK 2 .

Notis that she wear the "Frontfighterbadge" and not " Frontsisterbadge"

Jan Arne