DKG : Nazi / HJ members only?

[Ruy Horta]

Was the DKG only rewarded to Nazi Party and former Jungvolk / HJ members, or were there exceptions? Or is the above not correct at all?

Just don't remember, hence my question.

Thanks.

[Nokose]

According to Gordon Williamson's "Aces of the Reich" it was a "bridge" between the Iron Cross 1st and the Knight's Cross. So you had to have the 1st before recieving the DKG but could be awarded the DKG after the KC. I have read an account of a Heer member recieving it for destroying 3 Soviet tanks with a panzerfaust at Kurland that wasn't a member.

[Tom Semenza]

Ruy,

This is a quote from Bergström's Graf & Grislawski (pg. 95):

"...the German Cross in Gold...irreverently dubbed by the front-line soldiers as 'The Fried Egg,' due to its appearance, was a political award, invented by Hermann Göring...Grislawski's political background, or rather lack of such represented by his refusal to join the Hitler Jugend, had made him be passed over when the German Cross in Gold awards were given to other aces of 9./JG 52."

Grislawski's father had been an active socialist in the 1930's and adamantly refused to allow his sons to join any Nazi sponsored organizations.

On the other hand Veit Scherzer in Die Träger des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold der Luftwaffe, 1941-1945 says the the idea originated with Hitler himself as a sort of "Goldleaf to the Iron Cross First Class." Certainly this award was not limited to the Luftwaffe and nowhere in the official order establishing the new award on 28.09.41 is there any explicit hint that political correctness was one of the prerequisites for the award. However the DKiG was also sarcastistically referred to as the "Parteiabzeichen für Kurzsichtige" (The Party Badge for the Short-Sighted!)

That said, Grislawski, despite being an Eichenlaubträger, never received the DKiG. My feeling is that the Reichsmarschall could withhold this award at his wim, but that's only a guess on my part.

Regards,
Tom Semenza

[krichter33]

You didn't have to be a member of the party to receive the award. It was created as a combat award. Of course politics such as in the case of Grislawski could prevent someone from winning it. Similar is the case of Bar and the Diamonds.

[Ruy Horta]

Let me rephrase the question.

I know about the DKG's being a combat award and an intermediary between the EKI and RK, sorry for not being more clear about what I do (or at least think I do) and don't know.

Some combat medals were awarded almost automatically (like the EK.II in the Luftwaffe) other (and higher) required a recommendation albeit that there were "award systems" in the back ground at work as well (like early - 20 kills RK). Mostly the German award system was if anything systematic in how it rated bravery. The system rewarded continuous combat performance over single acts of valour. At least for combat this seems to have been a more or less transparant system.

The DKG is the only one that I can remember being mentioned as linked to political background (in more than one source).

The EK was traditional, the RK a replacement for the Pour le Merite, leaves the DKG as the purely "Nationalsozialistische" combat award. So some "limitations" wouldn't come to me as a surprise.

Since at least most youths (becoming) eligible for military service shortly before and during the war had been either members of the Jungvolk and/or Hitler Jugend, by choice or simply "Gleichschaltung", unlike the example mentioned above, exceptions would have been few. With the slightly older generation it would have been different, those to enter the military in the early Nazi period during the undercover Luftwaffe phase.

If I really start digging (almost literally the mess my books are currently in) I might find at least some of the answers myself, but I was hoping someone had a ready answer.

Ruy

[Don Pearson]

Ruy,

While Googling, I found mention that the DKiG was awarded to at least 14 foreigners, if that helps you in any way...

Also;

"The German Cross was presented to members of the Wehrmacht as well as uniform auxiliary forces such as Police, Railway, and RLB (a few members of these organizations were presented with the award for anti-partisan or air defense duties). In general, to be recommended, an individual would have to distinguish themselves a further six to twelve times above and beyond the deeds which earned them the 1st Class of the Iron Cross or War Merit Cross"

Don

[krichter33]

I think I understand what you mean. The EK was a traditional award, while the RK, the replacement for the Pour le Merite, was also based on the traditional EK. Whereas the DKG was a brand new creation by the Nazis. Yes, that's correct, in that case it was a new combat award created by the Nazi regime, and had no traditional precedent. But it was awarded to anyone who qualified for it. You did not have to be a party member or had been in the HJ to receive it.

[VtwinVince]

Don't forget that AH 'stole' the EK in 1939 for propaganda purposes, as up until 1918 it was purely a Prussian award. In a sense the 1939 pattern was an illegitimate award.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by VtwinVince

Don't forget that AH 'stole' the EK in 1939 for propaganda purposes, as up until 1918 it was purely a Prussian award. In a sense the 1939 pattern was an illegitimate award.

But wasn't Göring (amongst his other titles) Prime Minister of Prussia? I think Prussia only legally disappeared after 1945, although the Prussian monarchy went in 1918 (the Kaiser was also King of Prussia IIRC).