Original German WWII Luftwaffe Officer Insignia Grouping with Iron Cross & Eastern Front Medal Original Items

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German WWII Insignia, which was brought back from the European theater by a USGI after the war was concluded. It includes some lovely Luftwaffe Insignia, including collar tabs, some breast eagles, and an officer’s belt buckle. There are also two medals: An Iron Cross 2nd Class and an Eastern Front Medal.

This lovely set includes:

– ONE PAIR of Lufwaffe Anti-Aircraft Artillery Hauptmann (Captain) Collar Tabs / Patches. Known as Kragenpatte in German, these were attached to the collars to indicate the rank and branch of the wearer. These are in Tiefrot (Deep Red), the correct Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for Anti-Aircraft Troops and the Air Force Artillery. The three “wings” above oak leaves indicate the rank.

– One German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1939) with Ribbon. This fine example is in very good condition, and is maker marked 25 on the hanger ring, for Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Graveur-Gold-und Silverschmeide-Innungen in Hanau Germany. 

– One German WWII Eastern Front Medal (Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42) with attached Ribbon. This example is in good condition, with a vibrant ribbon.

– One German WWII Luftwaffe Officer’s Aluminum Brocade Belt Buckle. This is the standard brocade dress belt buckle for Luftwaffe officers, oval in shape with a Luftwaffe eagle on the front. It is marked on the back with the “barred A” trademark, of F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid, a large maker of belts, buttons, and other accoutrements. 

– One German WWII Luftwaffe Bullion Embroidered Breast Eagle. In excellent condition, fully hand embroidered.

– One German WWII Luftwaffe Embroidered Breast Eagle. In very good condition, fully embroidered with white / silver thread.

A wonderful totally genuine grouping perfect for the WWII Luftwaffe German collector.

There is no more iconic German military award than the Iron Cross. The long history of this order began during the Napoleonic Wars. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia instituted the “Eisernes Kreuz” (Iron Cross) in March of 1813. The award criteria changed somewhat with time, but generally speaking, Iron Crosses could be awarded for individual acts of bravery, or for leadership achievements on the battlefield. The design was created by a Karl Friedrich Schinkel, his choice of the black cross with silver outline was derived from the heraldic emblem of the Teutonic Knights.

The final reinstitution of the cross came in 1939. For this version, the front of the core for both grades bore a swas and the date 1939. The oak leaves, crown and royal initials were removed from the reverse, with only the date 1813 remaining as a reminder of the legacy of this award. In WWII, hundreds of thousands of Iron Cross First Class awards were bestowed, and four and a half million Iron Cross Second Class awards. Iron Crosses were made by a large number of authorized manufacturers. Some variants of these awards were mass produced in huge numbers. Others were made in very limited quantities.

Please also note the edge seam for authentication, which is not present on reproductions. Iron crosses were commonly constructed from an iron core sandwiched in a surrounding two part silver frame, normally the seam of these two silver parts is visible around the edge of the cross as is seen on this fine example.

The Eastern Front Medal (German: Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to both German and Axis personnel. It was awarded to those who served on the German Eastern Front during the winter campaign period of 15 November 1941 to 15 April 1942 It was instituted on 26 May 1942 and was commonly known as the Ostmedaille (East Medal) or Russian Front Medal.

The medal was wryly called the Frozen Meat Medal or the “Order of the Frozen Flesh” (German: Gefrierfleischorden) by Heer, Luftwaffe and Waffen-SS personnel to whom it was awarded.

Qualification
Armed service personnel qualified for the badge after a minimum of 14 days served in active combat; 30 combat sorties for Luftwaffe members; 60 days of continuous service in a combat zone; being wounded or suffering a “frozen limb”, severe enough to warrant the issue of a Wound Badge. The medal could be awarded posthumously.