Luftwaffe exclusive award - Lw. non portable award / a very rare one

[Stijn David]

Hello Forumfriends,

I would like to share my newest aquisition to end this year with. This is the very rare and exclusive "Ehrenplakette der Luftflotte 1".

This is the awarded piece from Fw. W.K?hler who was awarded this piece on 22.10.1942 fom Generaloberst Freidrich Keller himself.

Fw. W.K?hler was a glider pilot who did earn this very rare (non portable) Lw. award for this efforst and participation in the Cholm battle.

FYI, this is the only known original Ehrenplakette der Luftflotte 1 with a provenance. As far as is known there where only 2 glider pilots who did get this very rare award. It is unkown iff others also where awarded with this piece. It is probable but proof does fail at this point.

Therefore it is known that at least 2 of these where awarded, from wich one towards W.K?hler (the shown piece here).

Enjoy

Edited December 29, 2007 by Stijn David

[Stijn David]

Hello,

And a bit background about wich awards where also rendered upon Fw. W.K?hler:

* Lw. Glider pilots badge (1941)

* Iron Cross 2 nd. class (1942)

* Eastern Front Medal (1942)

* Ehrenplakette der Luftflotte 1 (1942) => shown here

* CHolmschield (1942)

* Lw. Ground assault badge

* Iron Cross 1 e class

W.K?hler survived the war and became a POW in Rumania at the end of 1944, he spent untill 1949 in RUssian captivity. It was his mother who saved the shown "Ehrenplakette"

To give some impression of the rarity, it is noted as in existence a first time in 1991 (German article) + also the Niemann Catalogue does mention it. But hence no picture => and here it is for you guys to enjoy .

Only 2 proven recipients at this point, probably a few more but very low award number.

Cordial greetings + enjoy.

[Scott]

Great piece - love the design and detail. Is there anything on the reverse?

Scott

[Stijn David]

Hello Scott,

Yes, the symbolic way that certain area's are shown is indeed great. The funny thing on this one is also that there is no swastika to be found. The same is true for the award document that does belong towards these plaque (note the original award document from the award of W.K?hler is no longer in existence).

The reverse is plain, not even a eyelett to hang it on a wall. This is a simple table medal.

Cordial greetings,

[Paul R]

You are the luckiest man on the planet to have one of the rarest LW awards WITH provenance! Congratulations! :jumping:

[Stijn David]

Hello Paul,

Thank you, yes indeed i am a very lucky person => this award was one of my collecting dreams wich i actualy never ever dreamed of to have it in real life. And at the end of this year that dream has come true !!!

The very funny thing on this particular award is that most persons would not even notice it when it would lay between otehr goodies on some dealers table, thanks toward sthe contacts with the veteran i have become aware what it is and being the one who is allowed to safekeep this piece untill my time has come to give it further does mean quite a bit for me.

Now my other goal is to snatch up the award document grouping that belonged towards the otehr glide rpilot who did win this award, mayby one good day? We will see.

Cordial greetings,

[Stijn David]

Hello,

And here is the image of this very rare award as it has been photographed with the veteran on March 2005. At that point the case (under part) was still along with the medal - between that date and now that piece has went missing as wel as his other awards (Cholmshield, EK 2, etc ...)

W.K?hler did land twice in Cholm.

19.02.1942: Landing with Go 242 and unloading of the transported PAK + ammo, etc ....

23.02.1942: Flewn out together with the other glider pilot (Seidel) in the last Ju 52 that could fly in and out again during the Cholm encerclement (Note: 22 February is the last day that 2 Ju 52's did fly in CHolm to bring in supply's and normally would fly out again. 1 Ju 52 managed to fly off again, the other Ju did get stuck in thigh snow and was later heavely damaged through RUssian artillerie fire.)

09.03.1942: His second succesfull landing with a Go 242 inside Cholm.

After this second landing he had to stay and fight with the Cholmdefenders untill he was ordered to leave Cholm on 08.05.1942 (the Cholmencerclement was broken on 5 May 1942).

These 2 gliderlandings did earn him the shown medal

Cordial greetings,

[Guest Rick Research]

Stijn-- was this entered in his military papers with the other awards? is that where the exact DATE it was awarded comes from?

[Stijn David]

Hi Ricky,

Unfortunatly no original papers such as the Wehrpass or Soldbuch did survive. I have it written down that several soldiers where to be read to receive a award (intervieuws + letters from veterans) => it turned out that the Ehrenplakette der Luftflotte 1 was to be awarded by Generaloberst Keller himself.

The award date is noted on the award document (still in existence from the other glider pilot in a friends collection). That is where the date came frome.

We can only guess what a entry of this one would have been looked like in a Wehrpass or a Soldbuch.

Cordial greetings,

[norwest78]

Wow, congratulations Stijn! Thank you for accompanying the photo with the recipient information, it is fascinating.

--Kevin

[wawilon]

01.06.2008 в 10:48 norwest78 сказал:

Ух, поздравляю, Стейн! Спасибо за сопроводительное фото с информацией о получателе, это увлекательно.

 

--Kevin

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