Sonderfuhrer Kurt Leffler RK winner

[Laurence Strong]

Just got this in the mail today.

RK das KvK mit Schwerten

[Laurence Strong]

The reverse. Could someone possibly translate it for me please.

Thanks for looking.

[Gordon Williamson]

Super photo Laurence.

The text just refers to the actual award ceremony.

Landwirtschaftsf?hrer Kurt Leffler, to whom the F?hrer awarded the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross, was presented his award by Reichsmarschall Hermann G?ring on the occasion of the Grand Rally of the NSDAP on Harvest Festival Day on Sunday morning in the Berlin Sports Palace.

Like most RK of the KVK, Lefler's was awarded ina group ceremony in Berlin. Here he is seconds after being presented his RK by the Fat Man.

[Laurence Strong]

Excellent. Many thanks Gordon. Any idea what he did to earn it?

Edited May 13, 2008 by Laurence Strong

[Paul R]

What an awesome set of photos. I have not seen such a low ranking sonderfuhrer with this award. I would love to know what he did as well. A full cavalier of the KVK!! That is one for the books!!

[Guest Rick Research]

Klaus Patzwall's 1984 "Die Ritterkreuztr?ger des Kriegsverdienstkreuzes 1942-1945" has a 2 page spread on Leffler, including blury photo of him parading with G?ring past an honor guard.

Born 6 June 1907 in M?hlberg bei Arnstadt. Sonderf?hrer (Z), with Armeegruppe Mitte since 1941. Basically, he served to seize, secure, and protect Russian farm crops so they could be stolen by the Wehrmacht. During the course of such duty "often in the front line with a machine gun" according to G?ring's speech ( ) he and his fellow Crop Commissars were frequently engaged in anti-partisan action, once broke out of Soviet encirclement, and wiped out "a large Soviet officer staff" near Juchnow. His confiscations included making snow shirts available to the troops (bed sheets?) as well as turning over commandeered crops as food.

Bestowal was on 4 October 1942-- among the earliest presentations.

It sounds as if he was far more "active" in anti-partisan activity and actual COMBAT than agricultural "gathering" (just as the NKVD had earlier "gathered" farmers crops) and one has to wonder why--

propaganda purposes aside

he was not awarded two Iron Crosses rather than these three KVKs.

[Laurence Strong]

Thanks for the info Rick

[BobGumm]

See Kurt Leffler with this and a couple of other nice photos followed with an explanation of his award(s), follow this link. This is Gordon Williamsons book that just came out., I haven't yet seen it personally but I am waiting on my copy to arrive.

http://www.bender-publishing.com/TWMCp4.html

Excellent. Many thanks Gordon. Any idea what he did to earn it?