Document group of Engineer Johann Startmann. He was born on July 22, 1913. He finished his service with "Eisenbahn-Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 2” in 1938. In April 1940, he became a Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger. He was promoted to private on October 1, 1940, and to “Obergefreiter” on August 1, 1941.

His unit took part in the Corinth Canal operation before participating in Operation Merkur (Kreta campaign). 

The group contains of his Kraft service release paper testing good conduct. He receives the Iron Cross 2nd Class and a citation for his service on the “Newafront” as part of the Leningrad battles in 1941. As he must have been severely wounded, he receives the Wound Badge in Silver for a one time incident on December 12, 1941. Now being promoted to NCO “Unteroffizier” (April 20, 1942) he qualifies and receives the ground combat badge on September 1, 1942. The badge is physically given to him on October 16, 1942, as another document testifies.

All certificates are in very good condition and the Iron Cross 2nd Class citation is extremely rare being directly connected with the Kreta campaign. It is 6.6.1941 issued!
The Ground Assault Badge citation must be around the earliest issued! It is September 1942 dated. The actual award was instituted in March.

Both, his Iron Cross 2nd Class award document and the Fallschirmschützenschein (with original applied photograph) are ink signed by his commander Major Egon Liebach, commander of Fallschirm-Pionier-Bataillon and recipient of the German Cross in gold.

The city of Dessau congratulates him and his newly wedded wife on October 19, 1943.

A letter from November 10, 1943, explains that the lost cuff title “Kreta” will be replaced, but his request for the “Ostmedaille” can not be granted as his unit did not qualify. One documents confirms 3 days of close combat which qualified him for being awarded the Ground Assault Badge.

Very nice group of a well-traveled Fallschirmjäger that saw action from the beginning of the war on various high profile battle fields.