Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

Maybe a bit of topic but I'll try anyway. What medal and awards were worne by the LW pilots? Obviously the iron cross in all its forms and all the LW operational flying clasps and LW orders and decorations and Wounded badges. What I do think of is the War Merit medal in all its forms, the diffrent shields, Narvik, Kuban, Krim, Demjansk, Cholm and the theatre medals like Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten and Deutsch Italienische Afrika-Feldzugsmedaille? Hope the question is not to much of.Thank you

Re: Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

Definitely all you have listed, plus don't forget the Afrika and Kreta cuff titles, the non-portable awards such as the Ehrenpokal and the long service awards.

Re: Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

When I became a soldier in WWII my father who was in WWI told me:

"Junge, besser kein Eisernes Kreuz als ein Eisen ins Kreuz!"

The translation is not difficult.

regards Peter Spoden

Re: Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

Vielen Dank Herr Spoden,

Your father was a very wise man!

Also, a very big thank you for you contribution on the nets diffrent boards, it is most interesting and educational to read your first hand accounts, thoughts and insights about the era.

Peter

Re: Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

Ihr Vater hatte Recht, Herr Spoden!

Re: Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

[quote=Peter Spoden]When I became a soldier in WWII my father who was in WWI told me:

"Junge, besser kein Eisernes Kreuz als ein Eisen ins Kreuz!"



for us that " nicht sprecken zie deutsch" (spelling?? ) I would love to know what this means..

tnx Kurt.

Re: Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

[quote=klaymann]I guess anything like " My young, better no iron cross than an iron in the cross" I belive the "iron" here means the novice? ones in the armed forces.

Re: Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

Hi Kurt and Sergio,
the meaning would be:
"better no Iron Cross (the award) than a piece of iron shot in the back". In colloquial German "Kreuz" can have the meaning of the back of a person.
The original phrase is a play on words that can't be translated directly.
Best wishes
Robert

P.S. Sergio, good luck with your book, looking forward to it :)

Re: Luftwaffe awards and medals
 

Thanks Robert. Yes, slangs and such kind of phares can´t be translated as I did... They have specif meanings in each country and one must understand them in this context. Well, a new "pack" of unpublished material may arrive this month for the book. It´s time start working in the chapters and define which photos will go. Thanks again.