Luftwaffe GAB document for 50 Einsatztagen

[Laurens Q]

Gents,

I'm looking forward to read your comments on the award document below. On first sight, it looks rather convincing (date matches with commanders name and no obvious spelling errors). On the other hand, some members raise an eyebrow when it comes to the image of the GAB. Why using the first grade GAB when this one is awarded for 50 days of combat? Maybe because it's noting more than a decorative award document, but still a good point. And as pointed out by member Simon, has the stamp any chance of being original? Can someone share a similar stamp/example from 1. Fallschirmj?ger-Division? My attempts to find one were futile...

This document comes with a photo as well, showing the soldier with a 'regular' GAB. So no Erdkampfabzeichen for this paratrooper. Was it possible for the FJ to receive a GAB? My guess is yes for the low-grade GAB because the Erdkampfabzeichen was not yet instituted, but then why go on in 1944-1945 with the higher grades?

Thanks for any input,

Laurens

[PKeating]

I presume that this document is for sale on eBay, if the blocked-out swastika is any indication. I must say that I am struck by the uniformity of the colours: the printed text, the signature (although barely visible) and the divisional stamp all seem to be the same colour.

The signature is clearly the manuscript type as opposed to the stamp Richard Heidrich or, rather, his aides tended to use on award documents but Heidrich certainly signed documents by hand, as the attached example shows. Signatures can vary over quite a short period of time, of course. A Monday signature can look very different to a Friday signature.

However, the divisional stamp is another matter. Unit stamps were carefully guarded for obvious reasons and Heidrich's personal office would normally have had just one stamp. Note the differences between the stamp on the EK2 document to Viktor Wollner and that on the document to Franz Richter.

I've never seen such a document, although that means very little in itself, given the very wide variety of award documents. However, Heidrich's office would have requested a blank document or two from the OKH or OKW through official channels and would have received one of the more common types with which we are all familiar, without the illustration of the badge. I would also expect such a document to be in A5 rather than A4 format.

That said, I have not heard of any Fallschirmj?ger receiving a numbered Sturmabzeichen. That said, the SA was certainly awarded to Fallschirmj?ger before the institution of the LW-EKA in 1942, mainly to members of specialists like artillerymen, medics and so on. The Luftwaffe had no equivalent of the numbered GAB, despite the attempts by various con artists to convince collectors otherwise. The numbered LW Ground Assault Badges instituted by G?ring late in 1944 did not appear before the end of the war. Perhaps holders of the GAB serving in the Luftwaffe were entitled to upgrades upon completion of the required tally of combat days.

Richter wears a GAB although the cloth Parachutist Badge might indicate that he became a paratrooper after receiving the GAB elsewhere, in one of the LW Field Divisions or even the Heer. Who knows? The cloth badges began as unofficial accessories but were 'officialised' in 1942, along with special award documents, by the OKL so that newly qualified parachutists had something to show for their seven training jumps because their award badges and accompanying documents sometimes took months to catch up with them and more than a few men were killed in action in the interim. On the other hand, he could just be wearing it on his fliegerbluse as a matter of personal preference.

I would want to examine this GAB 50 document personally and carefully before coming to any definitive conclusions but it does not inspire much confidence on the basis of what I see here. Even the name "Franz Richter" strikes me just a bit too "Hollywood German".

If it is a wartime print, the photo is certainly interesting as photographs of Fallschirmj?ger wearing the GAB are quite rare. Whether his name is or was Franz Richter is another matter.

In summary, exercise extreme caution.

PK

[PKeating]

A Monte Cassino EK2 awarded to a Fallschirmj?ger-Rgt 1 NCO by Heidrich's HQ. This example bears the ink stamp signature but Heidrich's office is now using the 1. Fallschirmj?ger-Division stamp instead of their old 7. Flieger-Division stamp, used on documents for some time after the change in divisional nomenclature. Note that they liked their blue ink pads. I cannot recall seeing any stamps from Heidrich's office in any colour other than blue...although I suppose someone might now pop up and show me the exception to the rule. The stamp on the GAB 50 document looks nothing like anything I recall on documents issued in 1944 and 1945 by 1. FJD HQ.

PK

[Stogieman]

I would have to concur with Prosper's summation of the issues with this document. Inconsistent with (most) known original award documents (even weel-worn ones) of the period.

[Simon Orchard]

As i mentioned over on the GCA forum. Compare the eagle's wings, and the letters to which the tips point on Prosper's example compared to that of the GAB. Two completely different stamps and looking through other 1 FJD stamp examples they all seem to follow the one Prosper shows.

[Laurens Q]

Thank you all for your comments. First off, the document is indeed for sale as indicated by the covered swastika. I received better images today which I post in attachment. What I also noticed is a faint effect on some of the letters on the right side of the document. This can be seen on the right side of the GAB in general, the last letter 's' in Besitzzeugnis and the letter 'n' in Sturmabzeichen. The document has been framed for several years (as I was told so), but could that be an explanation?

The divisional stamp is interesting to compare with the ones seen here and on the GCA-forum by Simon. The one from Wollner is pretty much from the same period as Richter, but it's a completely other stamp indeed. I do not know the correct name of the script in the stamp, but is this called S?tterlin? The letters 'sch' in Fallschirmj?ger and the letter 's' in Division differ very much.

I am also eager to hold it in hand and even feel/touch the paper. I wonder if it is thick paper (the rip on the left side makes me assume this is not a thin paper). I am also curious about the structure in the paper, as I think it is not straight flat but rather with a structure in it.

Laurens

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[Laurens Q]

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[Laurens Q]

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