Luftwaffe EK 2 - preliminary for Antipartisans warfare (Vassieux) towards a glider pilot

[Stijn David]

Hello,

Here is a piece from my collection wich i am very proud to present for the very first time. A preliminary award document for the iron cross 2 nd. class towards Oberleutnant Hans Sedlatzek.

This EK 2 was awarded for the glider mission against French partisans at Vassieux !!!

Please also note that this is the only known award document at this point towards a glider pilot for his participation in the Vassieux mission

Sedlatzek was one of the glider pilots who did land on 21.07.1944 at teh Vassieux plateau. He did fly a DFS 230 and was seriously wounded in his knee by enemy fire and was also awarded the black wound badge for htis wound.

He was one of the 20 seriously wounded German soldiers of the battle on that day.

Iff you want to read a bit more on this mission (page 18 towards 20) and the glider troops thenthe book about this subject is "the glider pilot badge" and this one can be found at : http://www.ironcross1939.com/

This EK 2 document is needles to say very very rare, In total 43 DFS 230 gliders did land and 3 Go 242's. From these glider planes there where 4 glider pilots KIA and numerous wounded. The shown award document is towards one of them

Cordial greetings,

[Chris Boonzaier]

Interesting also because preliminary docs for WW2 were very seldom used and were forbidden at this late stage of the war (technically).

So an unusual doc in many respects.

[Stijn David]

Hi Chris,

Thank you for the nice comment on this document

The EK 2 document is signed by Major Krug .

Hans Sedlatzek did earn the following awards during his service;

* Glider pilot badge (1941)

* Large NSFK Glider pilot badge (nr. 890) (1942)

* War Merit cross 2 nd. classe with Swords (1943)

* Wound badge - black (1944 - Vassieux)

* Iron Cross 2 nd. class ( 1944 - Vassieux)

He did survive the war and his certificate of discharge does say about Disability, with description: Telvertseift. Li. Knie, Beinverk?rz.

This is due to his wound suffered at Vassieux

Cordial greetings,

[Paul R]

Hi Chris,

Thank you for the nice comment on this document

The EK 2 document is signed by Major Krug .

Hans Sedlatzek did earn the following awards during his service;

* Glider pilot badge (1941)

* Large NSFK Glider pilot badge (nr. 890) (1942)

* War Merit cross 2 nd. classe with Swords (1943)

* Wound badge - black (1944 - Vassieux)

* Iron Cross 2 nd. class ( 1944 - Vassieux)

He did survive the war and his certificate of discharge does say about Disability, with description: Telvertseift. Li. Knie, Beinverk?rz.

This is due to his wound suffered at Vassieux

Cordial greetings,

Were all discharge documents this detailed?