German Cross in Gold

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German Cross in Gold

Schmidt, Heinz - German Cross in Gold certificate grouping

Schmidt, Heinz - German Cross in Gold certificate grouping

ITEM K-7784
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DESCRIPTion, DETaILS & Photos
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PERIOD 1918 — 1945
COUNTRY Germany 1918 - 1945
MATERIAL
DIMENSIONS
MAKER view maker
WEIGHT
LOT K-7784
EAN 2000000618159
LOT K-7784
PERIOD 1918 — 1945
COUNTRY Germany 1918 - 1945
EAN 2000000618159
MATERIAL
DIMENSIONS
MAKER view maker
WEIGHT
PERIOD 1918 — 1945
COUNTRY Germany 1918 - 1945
LOT K-7784
MATERIAL
DIMENSIONS
EAN 2000000618159
MAKER view maker
WEIGHT
Germany 1918 - 1945
German Cross in Gold


Description

Nice document grouping to Leutnant Heinz Schmidt serving as a company commander with 8./Grenadier-Regiment 154. Killed in action on 19.1.1944 at Jdriza.

Certificate to German Cross in Gold. Large type. Issued on 4.2.1944. Posthumously awarded. Signed by Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, Knight's Cross winner.

Certificate to German Cross in Gold. Small type. Issued on 4.2.1944. Posthumously awarded. Facsimile signature by Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, Knight's Cross winner.

Certificate to 1939 Iron Cross 1st Class. Issued on 10.12.1941. Signed by Generalmajor Friedrich Altrichter, German Cross in Gold winner.

Certificate to 1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class. Issued on 17.6.1940. Signed by Generalmajor Iwan Heunert.

Certificate to Close Combat Clasp in Bronze. Issued on 25.9.1943. Signed by a Major.

Certificates to Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, Infantry Assault Badge in Silver (field issue), Wound Badge in Gold, Silver, and Black. 

Portrait photo of Leutnant Schmidt. Postcard format.

Large leather document folder. The front bears the raised coat of arms of the city of Bremen. His family kept the documents in this folder over the years. 

Furthermore eight period time documents and letters as well as a small flag with the coat of arms of the city of Bremen.

Signs of use.


Condition
2/2-
Historical information

NAME

German Cross in Gold

DATE OF INSTITUTION

28. September 1941 as a military order in two grades. A special grade, the German Cross in Gold with Diamonds was planned and prototypes were made.

AWARD CRITERIA

The golden grade was awarded for multiple exceptional deeds of bravery or leadership and the silver grade for exceptional deeds in troop leadership. The award of the Iron Cross 1. Class, the Spange 1. Class , or the War Merit Cross 1. Class was a pre-requisite for the awarding of the German Cross. The German Cross was located above the Iron Cross 1. Class and War Merit Cross 1. Class but below the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, respectively the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross.

MANUFACTURERS

The German Cross was awarded by the decision of the supreme commanders of the three army branches.

The German Cross was produced by five known manufacturers and maybe one or two not yet known companies. The known manufacturers are Deschler & Sohn, who designed the cross, Gebrüder Godet, C.E. Juncker, C.F. Zimmermann, and Otto Klein.

Early crosses are unmarked and from the end of 1942/early 1943 onwards, the crosses were marked with the Präsidialkanzlei numbers of the companies.

Due to the heavy and slightly bulky nature of the award, a cloth version was authorized in June 1942. The cloth version can be found with eight different cloth backing colors: field gray (army), dark blue (navy), blue-gray (LW), black (tank forces), stone gray (assault gun), olive (Africa Heer), light khaki (Africa LW), and white (summer uniform).

AWARD NUMBERS

Accurate numbers are not known but the closest estimation based on surviving documents are 25,964 for the gold grade and 2,471 for the silver grade. A known total of eleven soldiers were awarded both grades.

The crosses were mainly stored and registered at the Präsidalkanzlei and were given out by this office. It is possible that smaller numbers were stored at the personnel offices of the three army branches.

AWARD DOCUMENTS

The Heer issued preliminary award documents in the format A5, followed by a larger (356 mm x 254 mm) formal document. The Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine never issued any preliminary documents, only the formal ones in the same size as the formal document of the Heer.

WEARING METHOD

The German Cross was worn at the right side of the uniform on the breast pocket.

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