Luftwaffe LW Close Combat Clasp

[Wilco]

Well lets be honest, the statement just points out the vieuw of the person that made the statement and he concludes on base of a very unclear photo that the clasp was awarded at least to the person on the photo.

I think we all should be honest, the photo as it is placed in this thread does not give us the conlcusion that either the CC Luftwaffe clasp is shown on the photo or that it is another clasp that is shown. The statements made by other members here can be true and are probably so, but with the best intentions I can not conclude that either on the base of this photo.

As historian I can only look at the facts so far.

1 The clasp was instituted by Stiftungsverordnung (institution declaration) on 3rd November 1944.

2 In that same institution the award criteria were stated

3 By declaration of the OKL (Bekanntgabe des Oberkommandos der Luftwaffe (O. K. L.) vom 13. Januar 1945) it was stated that received CCC of the Heer could be exchanged for the Luftwaffe version.

4 So far no clear evidence has been produced in this discussion here that the decoration was produced, awarded or presented

5 Statements are made that the decoration was awarded on paper, but no scans or sources have been recorded in this discussion here.

and this all where I only was searching for some photos as an illustration

Edited December 10, 2007 by Wilco

[Wilco]

Don't know if it helps or can give some more research material:

Luftwaffe Close COmbat Clasp on Werhmacht Awards

Here is stated that: "One of the earliest Bronze awards was presented to Obergefreiter Albert Mohlmann of the Hermann Goring Division on the 19th December of 1944. The next month, Hitler presented the fisrt Gold Award to a NCO"

Unfortunately they do not give any conclusive sources for this statement.

[PKeating]

The article actually states: "One of the earliest Bronze awards was presented to Obergefreiter Albert M?hlamann of the Herman G?ring Division on the 19th of December, 1944. The next month, Hitler presented the first Gold award to an NCO."

You mentioned that nobody had posted any photos. I did post a link to a dealer's website where there is a group containing a provisional document for the LW NKS. I have no further comment to make about that group. However, had any award documents been produced, it is likely that they would have been just like the other standard A5 format LW flight clasp certificates.

Coming back to the article on the WAF website, it is reasonable to point out that had Adolf Hitler awarded the first Gold NKS der LW in January 1945, there would have been photographers and perhaps a news camera crew or two there to record the event. In any case, it is highly unlikely that G?ring would have allowed his prerogative to be usurped like that. Of course, this is all hypothetical and the awards were not produced and any entries in paybooks or "provisional" documents are likely to be forgeries.

PK

[Gordon Williamson]

This is the photo that appeared in IMM Nr 109 of Sept/Oct 2003. Difficult to be definite over which clasp it is ( I still think the Recce clasp) but its easy to be definite that it is NOT a Nahkampfspange der Lw.

Also the NKS with "authentication" by Nimmergut.

[Wilco]

but its easy to be definite that it is NOT a Nahkampfspange der Lw.

With all respect, but that is something I can not agree with. I can neither see wether it is or it is not. Even with some fantasy I can see the Luftwaffe Eagles wings on the left and right above over the ring. But looking at it differently I could state it does not. Sorry.

A authentication declaration as of Nimmergut does not say anything I am afraid should be mentioned. It only discribes the characteristics of the specific exemple.

Of course, this is all hypothetical and the awards were not produced and any entries in paybooks or "provisional" documents are likely to be forgeries.

This all could very wel be, but as well as there is no evidence they were produced, there is no evidence they were not.

All can be stated in my vieuw is that the decoration was instituted, so it could have been produced, but no proof is at hand.

The document grouping of the dealers website are photo's, but by no means any proof. The document shown here shows us a award document (Verleihungsurkunde). It is very unlikely that a official Verleihungsurkunde would have been presented in this way. I don't state it is a fake, I just state it is not proven it is real. I would be more convinced if this was a preliminary award document. Also I am somewhat sceptic by the declaration on the document which states why it is presented this way. It states that the document can be seen as an award document beceause of paper shortage it has been decided not to produce a proper document. Then it has been signed by a Hauptmann. I think such a notice would have to be signe by a higher ranking officer, but I can be mistyaken off course. Besides that I have seen proper documents of other decorations awarded round that same period. Why would for those there have been no paper shortage and for this one it was?

Edited December 10, 2007 by Wilco

[Wilco]

Looking at the total grouping on http://www.therupturedduck.com/WebPages/Documents/d196.htm I see some other strange things.

The documents state he would have been awearded the Nahkampfspange der Luftwaffe and the Panzerkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe o the same day. The photos of him with decoartions show on one the Fallschirmjager and Erdkampfabzeichen and also the EK2 (right photo) AND THE LEFT PHOTO SHOWS: Panzervernichtungsabzeichen on the right arm, The Fallschirmabzeichen and Erdkampfabzeichen as on the other photo, a Verwundeten in Black and an EK1. Over the right breast pocket is the Wehrmacht Nahkampfspange in Bronze. Probably received in stead of the Luftwaffe version that was awarded, but strange he does not wear any sign of the also awarded (on the same day as the Nahkampfspange and with the same kind of document) Luftwaffe Panzerkampfabzeichen of a Wehrmacht replacement of it.

[PKeating]

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/sho...4633#post554633

PK