Certificate for helping commonwealth escapers

[Simon Orchard]

I just got this doc amongst another grouping and it seems to be unrelated to the rest. I've not seen one of these so know little about them, the reverse is in German and has a handwritten serial number including an A which i take to be for Austria as the rest of the group is from there.

So, does anyone know more about these documents? Are they commonuncommon, were they awarded in different languages etc.?

The Alexander sig is a stamp.

[Simon Orchard]

And here's the reverse.

[arrestanddevelopment]

I believe what you have is the paperwork/certificate that was awarded in conjunction with the Allied subjects medal WW2. Now you need to locate the medal which was issued usually unnamed.

regards

Steve

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes BUT-- this would appear to have been given to an enemy national who was commiting treason under his wartime then-government.

Perhaps for that reason, NOT given a medal, but only the certificate?

[arrestanddevelopment]

Hi

I believe certain areas of France post WW1 under the versailles treaty contained German speaking areas, hence the German translation.

just a guess though !!

steve

[Simon Orchard]

This doc came along with a grouping to an Austrian soldier in the 6 Geb.Div. of a different name (the 6 GD had it's recruitng area in K?rnten, South Austria) so no idea what the relation is. I can't even make out the name properly.

Bearing in mind who signed it then it must logically be to someone within Alexander's area of responsibility, and he had Southern Austria. I'm also wondering if there couldn't be a connection to the S?d Tirol area of Italy which i understand is bilingual ItalianGerman??

[Guest Rick Research]

"connection to the S?d Tirol area of Italy which i understand is bilingual ItalianGerman??"

Well, the Italians SAY so.

[Ed_Haynes]

I'm pretty sure this was a lower level award than the Courage/Service in the cause of Freedom medals, and easier to award to folks in non-allied countries who weren't part of any recognised resistance movement.

The bilingual aspect is odd.

[Simon Orchard]

The allied occupied nations you can understand, France, Benelux countries, Yugoslavia and Italy after 1943 but from Austria or rather from within the Reich itself implies someone basically commiting treason doesn't it?

[Ed_Haynes]

But treason (? = assisting escaping POWs?) against THAT government? Seems worthy of award to me and maybe it did to the Brits as well?

[Simon Orchard]

But treason (? = assisting escaping POWs?) against THAT government? Seems worthy of award to me and maybe it did to the Brits as well?

Oh i agree Ed, very worthy and not a little risky either, the consequences of being caught would, without a doubt, have been death. Not all Austrians were as happy at being invited into the greater German family as others, but the fact remains we're talking of a 'German' helping the enemy

[Ed_Haynes]

Indeed. And perhaps another reason why the two senior (and normal) medals were by-passed in favour of this certificate?