Document for the " Spanienkreuz "

[Jacques]

Hi,

This kind of document exist for each class of this badge. Few variants do exist in the text for the silver and bronze classes. the signature is a facsimile with a dry big stamp on the bottom left.

Here is one for the gold class, it has been punched ot the top. I'm waiting for your ones.

jacques

[Guest Rick Research]

I scanned (on my OLD scanner) this naval bronze without swords for my friend Walter

[Jacques]

Something interesting to note with these documents. When you look at the date "6.juni 1939.", it is followed by a dot for the Luftwaffe documents, and no dot for the KM and Army ones.

jacques

[Sal Williams]

I scanned (on my OLD scanner) this naval bronze without swords for my friend Walter

←

Is the Rank what told you it is naval? I don't know my German ranks bad little research student that I am

[Jacques]

[Jacques]

Previously I written that documents show some variants in the text. that no thrue for the spanish cross in gold document, at least as far as I've observed in my file pics. the text is always the same for that class (based on 10 docs observed) and it's the following one. Nevertheless, it should be interesting to see a document attributed to a KM member. Does anyone of you own one ?

[Jacques]

The text variants of which I'm talking about are in fact in relation with the appartenance to the LW and the Army or to the KM.

Top is the text used for a LW spanish cross in silver member (it's probably the same for the army:

Bottom is one fo a KM member

[Jacques]

The text for the spanih cross in silver without sword is the same for the LW and KM.

[Jacques]

The same observations for the spanish cross in bronze with swords. the text varies according to the appartenance to the Lw/Herr or to the KM.

Top is for the LW

Bottom for the KM

[Jacques]

And finally for the spanish cross in bronze without swords. Again same remarks as previously, different texts according to the LW !heer or KM members.

first is for LW

2 others for KM

[Jacques]

Ah ! I have forgotten the spanish cross with diamonds (It's because I'll never own one )

Only one kind of text

[Colinf]

This is the precertification document for Bronze cross without swords I believe. Birnbaum ended becoming a Hs 129 pilot with 10 (Pz)./SG 9.

Cheers, Colin

[Jacques]

This is the precertification document for Bronze cross without swords I believe.  Birnbaum ended becoming a Hs 129 pilot with 10 (Pz)./SG 9.

Cheers, Colin

←

No picture ?

[Gordon Williamson]

Came across this the other day and am assuming it is wrong. I believe the NOK document had only Hitlers signature and did not have Meissners ?

[Jacques]

Came across this the other day and am assuming it is wrong. I believe the NOK document had only Hitlers signature and did not have Meissners ?

←

Hello,

I don't like it too. I can't know about the paper but check it. The signature ink looks too blue. The date do not match with the other known originals I have in my files.

jacques

[Andy H]

Jacques

I also have some docs for the Spanien Kreuz. Considering that they were all awarded on the 6.Juni 1939, why would the wording on the document vary across the different grades of the awards? Could it be to do with the status/rank of the recipient? Could it be related to whether the individual was a volunteer {freiwilliger} as this word is present on some award docs and not on others?

A real mystery to me wondered whether you or other collectors could help.

Regards Andy

[Jacques]

Hi Andy,

The tex t slightly varies depending on the class of the awarded cross, to make a slight difference on the act of bravery. Honestly, I've no more explaination. I can study my files and try to find a logical one. thank s to point out that .

jacques

[eitze]

As I am too poor and cannot afford such impressive award documents

the only docs in my collection are the one of "Oberst Dommenget".

First you see the preliminary award doc for the "Spanienkreuz in Bronze".

The request page at the bottom is cut off.

Edited May 28, 2006 by eitze

[eitze]

After that he got his document, together with the present letter (??) -?bersendungsschreiben-.

As you can see, the Spanienkreuz was the only decoration he got.

A real desk warrior

Gru?

eitze

[Jacques]

Hi,

Interesting group. It is not always the number of awarded decorations which is facinating but also the variety, even if it come single.

There is an thread concerning each of these documents, may be you can add them in.

preliminary documents: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2429

?bersendungschreiben: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8708

jacques

[Jacques]

Not often seen document for the spanish cross in silver without swords. Only 327 were awarded.

[James Clark]

I thought you might find the following information useful.

The statutes for the Spanienkreuz dated 14 April 1939 give the following information:

The Spanienkreuz was awarded in 3 classes - Gold, Silver and Bronze. Hitler reserved the personal right to bestow the Gold award with Brilliants for especially outstanding efforts.

The Spanienkreuz was to be awarded either with swords or without swords, but only the Silver and Bronze grades were awarded without swords.

The Spanienkreuz with swords was to be awarded to the volunteers of the Condor Legion ("Freiwillige der Legion Condor"). It could also be awarded to the crews of the ships of the deutsche Kriegsmarine that took part in the following combat actions in Spanish waters:

1) The air-raid on Ibiza

2) The shelling of Almeria

3) The bombing of Palma

The Spanienkreuz in Silver or Bronze without swords could be awarded to:

1) Courier pilots

2) Members of the Wehrmacht who were attached to the Legion Condor in Spain in the course of their official duties or spent at least three months on ships of the Kriegsmarine in Spanish waters

3) German civilian volunteers (Zivil-Freiwillige) belonging to the Legion Condor and in official German posts that had the same purpose as the Legion Condor

So there are two types of "Freiwillige":

1) the members of those units that formed the Legion Condor proper. This underlines the point, sometimes overlooked, that not every German who served in Spain was a member of the Legion Condor: the Wehrmachtsangeh?rige who supported or were attached to these units were clearly not considered "Freiwillige der Legion Condor".

2) German civilian volunteers who either served with the Legion Condor or else supported its aims through the work they did. The German text is "deutsche Zivil-Freiwillige der Legion Condor und der mit ihr in gleichem Auftrag t?tigen amtlichen deutschen Stellen". The only example I have found of a non-military recipient is a document for the Silver grade without swords awarded to Diplom-Ingenieur Joachim von Richthofen (Forman's Guide to Third Reich German Documents, Volume 1, page 12) about which I have no further information. The document does not refer to him as a "Freiwillige".

The statutes don't give any information about what differentiated the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.

[Jacques]

J. Angolia, in his book, on p.14, "the non-combattant award was rendered in accordance with position (rank), with the higher ranking officers receiving the silver spanish cross without swords". I don't know where he got this information, may be on observation of several documents.

Does somebody here own or know a document for the bronze cross without sword attributed to an officer, or a silver cross without swords attributed to an NCO?

jacques

[Guest Rick Research]

I have, to Fran?ois, the Reichsgesetzblatt (1939 Nummer 139, 10 August, Seiten 1359-1366) in which the regulations for the Spanish Crosses and Next Of Kin Crosses was published. and they are EXACTLY as James translated into English above.

There is actually NOTHING in print in the original German indicating ANY way that the grades were supposed to be awarded by the recipients' ranks or levels of merit.

So while I suppose it could have been theoretically possible for all sorts of subjectively decided "weird" cases to arise, there had to have been SOME sort of guidelines that were applied that were never SPELLED out in the official regulations.

[James Clark]

Even looking back through the documents in this thread we can see an example of an Oberst being awarded the Bronze grade without swords and a Major (two ranks lower) receiving the Silver. So rank doesn't seem to have played a role.

Edited September 26, 2006 by James Clark