Original wartime award certificate for the Ostmedaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”, awarded to Obergefreiter Wunibald Heislbetz. The certificate records that Heislbetz was awarded the Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (Ostmedaille) on 20 August 1942.

Of particular interest is the unit information: the certificate was confirmed by Tel.-Bau-Abteilung Barthel, with the document dated Kowel, 15 December 1943. The unit designation and location give this otherwise standard campaign-medal certificate a specific wartime connection to the German military communications/construction organization operating in the occupied Eastern territories.

The certificate is signed under “Für die Richtigkeit” by the unit’s Sdf. (K) und Einheitsführer, with the original unit stamp of Tel.-Bau-Abteilung Barthel. The combination of the named recipient, original unit stamp, handwritten signature and precise wartime location of Kowel makes this an interesting piece of original Eastern Front documentation.

It is also notable that although the award is recorded as having been made on 20 August 1942, the certificate itself was issued considerably later, on 15 December 1943 at Kowel. This provides an interesting example of the continued administrative processing and documentation of Ostmedaille awards well after the original award date.

Condition: Original wartime condition with a horizontal fold, light age toning, minor foxing/discoloration and general handling/storage wear. The original stamp and handwritten signature remain clearly visible, and the document is fully legible.

Original German award certificate (Urkunde) for the Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern (War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords), awarded to Hauptmann Erich Hofmann, Kommandeur der Bautruppen 8. The certificate is dated A.H.Qu., 20 April 1943 and was issued in the name of the Führer and Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht. It bears the official 17. Armee Dienstsiegel and the printed name of Generaloberst Richard Ruoff, then Oberbefehlshaber der 17. Armee, with an original certification signature by a Major und stellvertretender 1. Adjutant. Richard Ruoff commanded the 17. Armee from June 1942 until June 1943, making his appearance on this certificate fully consistent with the date.

Of particular interest is the recipient’s position as Kommandeur der Bautruppen 8. This was a Heer construction-troop command, originally designated Abschnittsbaustab 8 and redesignated Kommandeur der Bautruppen 8 in January 1940. The unit served on various fronts during the war and was employed on the Eastern Front, including under the 17. Armee during the opening stages of the campaign. By March 1943, Kommandeur der Bautruppen 8 was listed among the forces operating under the V. Armeekorps within the 17. Armee’s area of operations.

The award date is particularly interesting because Bautruppen were still a distinct Wehrmacht arm at this time. In August 1943, only a few months after this certificate was issued, the Bautruppen were transferred into the Pionierwaffe, with Kommandeur der Bautruppen 8 subsequently becoming Pionier-Regimentsstab z.b.V. 8. This places the document firmly in the final period of the Bautruppen’s independent existence and makes it an interesting piece of documentation for the German military construction organization on the Eastern Front.

Condition

Original wartime document with horizontal folding, light age-related toning, minor staining/discoloration and general handling/storage wear. The printed text remains clear, with the 17. Armee Dienstsiegel, printed Ruoff endorsement and original handwritten certification signature all clearly visible.

Original German Verleihungsurkunde zur Kriegsverdienstmedaille, awarded to Fernsprecherin Ilsedora Feist by the Oberkommando des Heeres.

The certificate is dated Kassel, 30 January 1945 and was issued through the Stellvertretendes Generalkommando IX. A.K., making this an interesting late-war Heer document.

The Kriegsverdienstmedaille was awarded for meritorious service during the war, particularly to civilians and personnel who rendered service to the German war effort without qualifying for the military Kriegsverdienstkreuz.

Of particular interest is the recipient’s designation as Fernsprecherin (telephone operator), showing the role of women in wartime communications and support services. The certificate was issued on 30 January 1945, only a few months before the end of the war, making it a genuinely late-war award document.

Condition

Original wartime certificate with folding, creasing, light age toning and general handling/storage wear. There are two punched filing holes along the left margin. The original typed recipient information, date, official Dienstsiegel and signature remain clearly visible.

Outstanding original Wehrmacht document grouping belonging to Unteroffizier Johann Marx, 6. Kompanie/ Infanterie-Regiment 485 of the 263. Infanterie-Division. The grouping follows Marx’s wartime service through his decorations, a serious combat wound, correspondence with his wife, and even includes an original campaign map showing the advance and fighting of the 263. Infanterie-Division during the 1940 Western Campaign.

The earliest award document in the group is the Besitzzeugnis for the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, awarded to Unteroffizier Johann Marx, 6./Infanterie-Regiment 485, dated 30 November 1941, “Im Felde.” The certificate bears the official divisional stamp of the 263. Infanterie-Division and the signature of Generalmajor Ernst Häckel. The 263. Infanterie-Division was already fighting on the Eastern Front in 1941, advancing through the central sector toward the Moscow area.

Also included is an original letter dated 9 December 1941, addressed to Frau Susanne Marx, informing her that the company was forwarding her husband’s newly awarded Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, together with the accompanying award certificate. The letter is signed by a Hauptfeldwebel and provides an excellent personal connection to the grouping, documenting the communication between Marx’s frontline unit and his wife at home.

A further Besitzzeugnis for the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen records the award to Unteroffizier Johann Marx, 6./J.R. 485. The certificate is signed by an Oberstleutnant und Regimentskommandeur, with the divisional stamp, and represents another important combat decoration from Marx’s service with the regiment.

Particularly significant is the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, awarded to Unteroffizier Johann Marx, 6. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 485, “Im Felde,” 15 October 1943. The certificate is signed by Generalleutnant Werner Richter, Kommandeur der 263. Infanterie-Division. Richter commanded the 263. Infanterie-Division from April 1943 until he was severely wounded in May 1944, making this an especially interesting original, hand-signed divisional award document.

The grouping also contains the Besitzzeugnis for the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz, awarded following a wound suffered on 17 October 1943. The document is dated 20 November 1943 and records the injury as a malige Verwundung-Beschädigung. It was issued at Stassfurt and signed by an Oberstabsarzt und Chefarzt, providing direct documentation of Marx’s combat wounding shortly after his October 1943 EK I award.

Of exceptional personal interest is the accompanying original wartime letter to Frau Susanne Marx, dated 18 May 1942, informing her that her husband had been awarded the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen and that the accompanying award document was being forwarded to her. This adds another layer of provenance to the grouping and demonstrates that the documents were retained by Marx’s family rather than being subsequently assembled from unrelated sources.

The grouping is further enhanced by an original “Vormarsch u. Kämpfe unserer Division” map, illustrating the movements and fighting of the 263. Infanterie-Division during the 1940 Western Campaign. The map traces the division’s advance through Belgium and France, with locations including Givet, St. Quentin, Laon, Reims, Paris, Orléans, Tours and the Loire, and includes dated movement markings. The 263. Infanterie-Division took part in the Western Campaign in 1940 before remaining in France as an occupation formation until its transfer east in 1941.

Finally, the group contains a post-war medical certificate dated 24 November 1949, issued by Dr. med. Holler in Koblenz-Horchheim. This document records that Johann Marx had been under treatment from December 1943 until August 1944 in the Reserve-Lazarett Saaffig, including treatment for serious injuries sustained during his military service. Together with the wartime Verwundetenabzeichen document, it provides an unusually complete documentary trail concerning the consequences of his 1943 wounding.

Condition: The documents are in original, well-used wartime condition, showing folds, creasing, age toning, foxing, staining and handling/storage wear. Some documents have more pronounced edge wear and tears, consistent with their wartime use and subsequent preservation. The map likewise shows folds and age-related wear. The majority of the important text, stamps and signatures remain clearly legible.

A superb and highly coherent Wehrmacht document grouping, combining multiple original award certificates, frontline correspondence, a documented combat wound, an original 1940 campaign map and post-war medical documentation. The connection to the 263. Infanterie-Division and Infanterie-Regiment 485 makes this a particularly attractive grouping for collectors of named Eastern Front material and divisional documentation.

Offered here is an interesting group of original German award and service documents belonging to Kraftfahrer Emil Fick of Ahrenlohe, documenting his military-related service and awards from the mid-1930s through the pre-war period. The grouping includes the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer, a Berechtigungsausweis for the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz, and a 1940 award certificate for the Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938, providing a useful chronological record of Fick’s service.

The earliest document is an original Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer award certificate dated Pinneberg, 25 March 1935, issued to Kraftfahrer Emil Fick in Ahrenlohe. The certificate states that, on the basis of the decree of 13 July 1934, he was awarded the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer, the commemorative decoration established by Reich President and Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg in remembrance of German participation in the First World War. This establishes Fick as a documented WWI front-line veteran.

Also present is an original Berechtigungsausweis dated Altona, 8 May 1936, granting Fuhrunternehmer Emil Fick of Tornesch-Ahrenlohe the right to wear the Verwundetenabzeichen für Heeresangehörige / Marineangehörige in Schwarz. Issued by the Versorgungsamt Altona, this is an important piece of supporting documentation showing that Fick was officially entitled to wear the black grade of the German Wound Badge. Together with his 1935 Frontkämpfer Cross, it provides further evidence of his First World War service and veteran status.

The final and particularly interesting document is an original 1940 award certificate for the Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938, commonly known as the Sudetenland Medal. The certificate records Kraftfahrer Emil Fick, serving with Kleine Kw. Kol. 5/30, and is dated Hamburg, 5 April 1940. The award commemorated German participation in the occupation of the Sudeten territories following the Munich Agreement and subsequent events of October 1938. The certificate was issued through the Wehrkreis X command structure and bears the original official stamp and issue of Generalleutnant Lücke.

The reference to Kleine Kw. Kol. 5/30 (Kleine Kraftwagen-Kolonne) is particularly interesting, as it places Fick in a specifically identified motor transport unit rather than simply recording him as a generic civilian or veteran. His occupation as Kraftfahrer also fits naturally with this motor-transport assignment, giving the group a useful connection between his civilian occupation and his military service.

The documents remain in original period condition, with folds, age toning, foxing/discoloration and general handling wear consistent with their age. The original official stamps and signatures remain clearly visible, and the documents retain their attractive period typography and presentation.

Original German Berechtigungsausweis authorizing Elektromeister Wilhelm Langenfeld, residing at Rheinische Str. 87, Dortmund, to wear the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (Wound Badge in Black). The document was issued by the Versorgungsamt Dortmund on 22 April 1937 and bears the original official Versorgungsamt Dortmund Dienstsiegel and handwritten authorization signature.

Importantly, this is not a 1937 wartime award. The Verwundetenabzeichen had originally been instituted on 3 March 1918 during the First World War, and this 1937 document represents a later official recognition of the recipient’s entitlement to wear the WWI wound badge. Following the introduction of new regulations in 1936, German Versorgungsämter were authorized to issue such Berechtigungsausweise to WWI veterans who could establish their entitlement, including through military documentation.

The document therefore most likely represents Wilhelm Langenfeld’s WWI veteran status and wartime wounding, with the 1937 certificate serving as the official authorization to wear the black grade of the Imperial German Verwundetenabzeichen. The wording “für Heeresangehörige – Marineangehörige” is printed on the form, while the actual entitlement is specifically entered as “in schwarz.”

This type of document is an interesting example of how the German authorities dealt with First World War veterans nearly two decades after the end of the conflict. The 1936 regulations specifically provided for the issuance of Berechtigungsausweise where an original possession certificate or appropriate military record was unavailable, and such documents are therefore an important part of the post-WWI administrative history of the Verwundetenabzeichen.

Condition

Original 1937 document with a central vertical fold, additional light folding, age-related toning and minor handling/storage wear. The original Dortmund Versorgungsamt stamp and handwritten signature remain clearly visible.

Original Bulgarian award certificate (Свидетелство) issued by the Kingdom of Bulgaria, Ministry of War, documenting the award of the Medal for Participation in the War of 1915–1918 to Unteroffizier Heinrich Pleumann, of Oberhausen/Rheinland, Germany. The certificate is dated Sofia, 23 May 1941 and records that Pleumann participated in the Bulgarian campaign of 1915–1918. In recognition and remembrance of his participation, His Majesty the King of Bulgaria awarded him the commemorative medal worn on a red ribbon.

This is a particularly interesting document because Pleumann was a German veteran, rather than a Bulgarian serviceman. The Bulgarian Medal for Participation in the War 1915–1918 was instituted on 9 December 1933 as a commemorative award for participants in the First World War. The red ribbon specifically denoted front-line veterans, while variants with additional central stripes were used for indirect participants and next-of-kin.

The award was also distributed to veterans of the former allied armies, including German, Austrian and Hungarian participants. Sources record that approximately 200,000 medals were sent abroad for presentation to former personnel of these allied armies. This makes a certificate actually issued to a German WWI veteran living in Germany particularly appropriate and collectible.

An especially attractive feature is the original Bulgarian 150-lev revenue/postage stamp affixed to the certificate, together with the embossed official seal of the Bulgarian Ministry of War. The funds raised through these special stamps were used for the planned construction of a new building for the National Military History Museum in Sofia, giving the stamp a direct connection to Bulgarian military heritage.

The certificate is signed by the Lieutenant General and Minister of War, with an additional signature from the official identified as Head of the Department for the Military Museum, Monuments, etc. The combination of the Bulgarian royal heading, Ministry of War documentation, original seal, revenue stamp and German recipient makes this an unusually attractive piece of international WWI veteran documentation.

The date of 23 May 1941 is also noteworthy. By this point Bulgaria was already closely aligned with the Axis powers and had joined the Tripartite Pact in March 1941. Only weeks earlier, Bulgarian forces had entered territories in the Balkans following the German-led campaigns of April 1941. This certificate therefore represents a fascinating intersection of Bulgarian WWI commemorative policy, German-Bulgarian military relations and the continued recognition of veterans more than two decades after the First World War.

Condition

Original large-format certificate with horizontal and vertical folds, age-related toning, light foxing/discoloration and general handling/storage wear. There is some edge wear and a small loss around the left perforation/filing hole, but the elaborate Bulgarian printing remains very attractive. The original 150-lev stamp, Ministry of War seal and signatures are all present.

Offered here is an original 1938 Ehrenurkunde awarded to Margarete Kühl for her good achievements in the “Wettkampfgruppe Textil” during the Berufswettkampf aller schaffenden Deutschen (Vocational Competition of all Working Germans). The certificate was issued in Berlin on the Day of National Labour, 1 May 1938, making it a very attractive pre-war example of official Reichsberufswettkampf documentation.

The document specifically records Kühl’s achievement within the Textile competition group, providing an interesting connection to the vocational and occupational competitions organised during the Third Reich. The Reichsberufswettkampf was a large-scale competition intended to test and recognise professional skills among German workers and young people across numerous occupational categories. The Textil category makes this particularly interesting for collectors of women’s vocational history, textile occupations and social-history material.

The impressive certificate features the large Reichsberufswettkampf emblem at the top and is beautifully printed in the characteristic Gothic typeface of the period. At the bottom are the signatures of Dr. Robert Ley, Reichsorganisationsleiter, and Baldur von Schirach, Jugendführer des Deutschen Reiches, giving the document considerable official presentation and historical interest.

The certificate remains in original period condition, showing age-related toning, foxing and scattered discoloration throughout, together with some light handling wear. The printed text, decorative design and both signatures remain clearly legible.

A very attractive and fully named original 1938 Reichsberufswettkampf certificate, combining a female recipient, the Textile competition group, an early pre-war date and the signatures of Robert Ley and Baldur von Schirach. An excellent piece of original documentation for collectors of Reichsberufswettkampf material, German occupational history, women’s history and Third Reich-era certificates.

Original WWII Luftwaffe award document grouping belonging to Gefreiter Hans-Georg Blunck of 3.(F)/122, including his Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse and Frontflugspange für Aufklärer in Bronze.

The grouping includes:

• Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, awarded 10 January 1942, issued by the Chef der Luftflotte 3 und Befehlshaber West.
• Frontflugspange für Aufklärer in Bronze, awarded 2 January 1942, to Gefr. Hans-Georg Blunck, 3.(F)/122, at the Gefechtsstand of the IX. Fliegerkorps.
• Additional original Luftwaffe award documentation for the same recipient.

Of particular interest is the documented wartime fate of Blunck. He served as wireless operator aboard Ju 88A-5 Werknummer 0440, coded F6+PL, of 3.(F)/122. The aircraft failed to return from a mission on 19 January 1942 and was subsequently reported missing.

According to the available loss account, the aircraft was attacked by a Spitfire of RAF No. 145 Squadron, flown by Squadron Leader Tony Lovell, DFC. Following repeated attacks, the Ju 88 reportedly suffered a starboard engine fire, turned to starboard and dived into the sea, crashing approximately 20 miles east of Whitby. The entire crew was lost:

• Fw. Gerhard Drassdo – Observer
• Gefr. Hans Blunck – Wireless Operator
• Gefr. Johann Bauer – Gunner

This gives the award documents a particularly interesting connection to a specific operational Ju 88 loss, rather than merely documenting an unidentified Luftwaffe serviceman.

A highly interesting Luftwaffe reconnaissance document grouping with identified unit, aircraft, crew position and documented operational loss.

Condition: Period condition with folds, age-related staining and handling marks. Please see photographs for details.