Luftwaffe Erd­kampfabzeichen Award Certificate – Flak-Regiment 25 (10. Flak-Division)

Original German Verleihungsurkunde for the Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe (Luftwaffe Ground Combat Badge), awarded to Obergefreiter Kurt Vaterstradt, serving with 5. Batterie/ Flak-Regiment 25. The certificate is dated 27 December 1943 and was issued at the Divisions-Gefechtsstand of the 10. Flak-Division (mot.). It bears the original period divisional Dienstsiegel and the handwritten signature of Oberst Engel, who signed as m.d.W.d.G.b. (mit der Wahrnehmung der Geschäfte beauftragt – entrusted with the conduct of the commander’s duties).

The award is particularly interesting because the Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe was specifically intended to recognize Luftwaffe personnel who had distinguished themselves through combat employment against ground targets. It was introduced in January 1942 and could be awarded to Luftwaffe personnel who had participated in qualifying ground combat operations. This certificate therefore provides direct evidence of Gefreiter Vaterstradt’s participation in ground combat rather than purely anti-aircraft duties.

Flak-Regiment 25 was a long-serving Luftwaffe Flak formation with a distinguished combat history. Its personnel repeatedly saw their anti-aircraft artillery employed in the ground-combat role, and members of the regiment received the Erdkampfabzeichen alongside other combat decorations. Contemporary award listings, for example, document multiple members of Flak-Regiment 25 receiving the Erdkampfabzeichen in addition to their Flak and Iron Cross awards.

The 10. Flak-Division had been formed in September 1941 and fought extensively on the Eastern Front. By late 1943 its formations were involved in the defensive battles and retreats in the Ukraine, including the fighting around Kiev, Zhytomyr and Cherkasy. The division was commanded by Generalmajor Franz Engel from June 1943 onward; the certificate’s signature by Oberst Engel, m.d.W.d.G.b., is consistent with the command being exercised on behalf of the divisional commander at the time.

Condition

Original wartime certificate with a horizontal fold, light age-related toning and minor handling/storage wear. The printed text remains crisp and easily legible, while the original 10. Flak-Division Dienstsiegel and handwritten signature of Oberst Engel are clearly preserved.