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Grouping to Hauptmann Helmut Belser serving with Jagdgeschwader 53. He was credited with 36 victories as well as awarded the Knight's Cross on 7. September 1942. Belser was killed in a take-off accident flying Bf 109 at Castel Benito airfield near Tripoli in Libya on 19. June 1942.
Documents
Photocopies of his original certificates to Knight's Cross, Luftwaffe Honor Goblet, 1939 Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, Squadron Clasp for Jäger in Bronze, Silber and Gold, Luftwaffe Pilot's Badge, and Luftwaffe Long Service Award 4th Class. In addition a photocopy of a promotion document (Leutnant).
Luftwaffe flight navigation map "Navigationskarte". Issued in 1938. Made of water-proof material.
Luftwaffe cover for an identification card.
Badges
Orignal neck ribbon for the Knight's Cross. Length: 50 cm.
1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class on medal bar. "100" maker marked. Mint!
Luftwaffe Long Service Award 4th Class on medal bar. Mint!
Wound Badge in Silver. Zinc. "65" maker marked.
1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class.
"Stuttgart Bolzschützen" shooting medal 1933. Made from bronze.
Comes with a wooden case in which the family kept the badges.
Photos
Luftwaffe photo album with 35 photos. It shows a funeral of a Luftwaffe member in Africa. Probably that of Helmut Belser. Including a photo of his grave. Furthermore a nice portrait photo of him and an excellent photo showing the vertical stabilizer of his aircraft.
A photo "Abschuss einer Gloster-Gladiator". Glued on cardboard.
Condition
1-2/2
Historical information
NAME
Knights Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross
DATE OF INSTITUTION
1. September 1939 as the third and new grade of the re-instituted Order of the Iron Cross
AWARD CRITERIA
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded for exceptional bravery in the face of the enemy and for outstanding merit in troop leadership. The awarding required the previous awarding of the two lower grades. The Knights Cross was solely awarded by the Führer upon the proposal of the soldiers unit and issued by the Heerespersonalamt. The Knights Crosses were stored at the Ordenskanzlei in Berlin, to be sent to the awardee after approval. There were no Knights Crosses stored at any level of the Wehrmacht before the end of April 1945.
MANUFACTURERS
The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was produced by seven manufacturers, not including variations amongst the individual companies. The Knights Crosses can be found either unmarked (early Juncker and 3/4 Ring), with a silver content mark, with an LDO number (L/12 and L/52), and later on with the company’s Präsidialkanzlei number (2, 20, 65, and 4). Private sales were forbidden after October 1941.
AWARD NUMBERS
Accurate numbers are not known but the closest estimation is around 7,200, and most likely another couple of hundred on stock at the Präsidialkanzlei.
AWARD DOCUMENTS
The awardee received a preliminary document in A5 format and issued in the name of the Führer by the responsible personnel offices of the three branches of the Wehrmacht. The formal document (Große Mappe) was issued later and only until date of late 1942 / early 1943 due to the huge backlog.
WEARING METHOD
The Knights Cross was worn around the neck on a wider red white and black ribbon which came within the black award case of the Knights Cross.
.jpg "Major Heinrich Höfer - restored (!) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross \"65\"")
