EK 1939 Non-combatant EK?

[Biber]

Please forgive my ignorance, but could anybody tell me if there was a non-combatant version of the '39EK? Or were any awarded as such?

Biber

[Guest Rick Research]

That was what the War Merit Crosses were created for, for mere mortals. Of course, Grand Headquarters types like Keitel, D?nitz, G?ring ad infinitum all got Iron Crosses in a plethora of grades without ever hearing a shot fired-- for "leadership."

[webr55]

But apart from the top OKW guys, Hitler was quite reluctant in giving the RK to his staff, as he thought it should be a frontline award. For example, someone like Adolf Heusinger, chief of operations in OKH (and post-war first chief of the Bundeswehr), never got the RK.