A Luftwaffe Pilot Who Earned The Blockade Runner's Badge

[W. C. Stump]

I have two documents to a Luftwaffe Pilot that I would like to share with everyone. The Pilot received his Pilot's badge in 1938 and his Blockadebrecher's Badge in 1943.

[W. C. Stump]

The Pilot's Badge Document to Kurt Witte.

[Drew Thompson]

Interesting group! But are you sure he was a pilot?

[Rick Research]

Right you are Drew-- the Luftwaffe document is for the Air Gunner badge, though he is called a "signals" NCO in both. Still a very interesting pair!

[W. C. Stump]

I am not positive, but was told he was. Maybe somone can off some clarification.

[W. C. Stump]

Thanks Rick. Maybe a flak gunner on a ship trained by the Luftwaffe? Maybe a Luftwaffe Gunner on a plane that helped a ship break the British blockade.

[Rick Research]

A lot of naval personnel were pulled out and transferrd to the Luftwaffe around 1937, but many found their way back... I can think of several pictures of Knight's Cross U-boat officers wearing sub and pilots' badges.

It's too bad this guy got the late universal unspecific issue naval Blockade Runner document and not the earlier one that gave the ship's name...

wonder if he went back and forth to Japan, or?...

Ironically, Alfred Symons, who signed the Blockade document, was a 1915 POW survivor of the U-14, first submarine to be sunk by armed fishing trawlers ("Surprise, surprise, surprise!" as Gomer Pyle used to say!),

[Drew Thompson]

I don't believe this fellow was ever directly involved in combat, firing guns and such. It looks to me like he was involved in communications, which makes it even more special in my eyes. His actions at this job, through whatever course of their own, merits him this award. A very special group, indeed.

Are they for sale?

[W. C. Stump]

I have never seen a Blockadebrecher document with the ship listed. However I have another grouping from the famous Auxiliary Cruiser THOR that doesn't have the ship named on the document, but the ship's number is on the other two. I will present them here in order of date issued.

IRON CROSS SECOND CLASS - 5. APRIL 1941

[W. C. Stump]

KREIGSABZEICHER FUR HILFSKREUZER - 1. APRIL 1943

[W. C. Stump]

Sorry, here is the right document, wrong order of date.

21. JULI 1943

[W. C. Stump]

I made an error and got the documents out of order, but the point is that this documents has the THOR's number as does the early Iron Cross document and the Blockade Breaker's does not and it in 1943. Does anyone have a scan of one with the ship's name or number?


KREIGSABZEICHER FUR HILFSKREUZER - 1. APRIL 1943

[Drew Thompson]

I believe the number you are refering to (N8624/40T) is the fellows conscription number in the year 1940 (he was number 8624 to sign up) and not the ship's number.

[Rick White]

Hi Bill,


Could your man have been a crew member on a sea-plane which was on the ship? Larger naval vessels of course had them, but I am not sure about ships that would have been engaged in Blockade Breaking Activity. Just a thought.

Inter-service awards certainly did occur. I have a nice group (courtesy of Herr. Saez ) to a LW Observer serving in Minensuchgruppe 1 who was awarded the KM Minesweeper's Badge in addition to the LW Observer's Badge. I will be posting pictures of it soon.

There is also in the same group an official letter indicating that LW personnel serving in the Minensuchgruppe WERE entitled to receive the NAVAL COMBAT CLASP/Marine-Frontspange (contra Angolia in For Fuhrer and Fatherland) if their actions warranted it. Very interesting...

Regards,

Rick

[W. C. Stump]

After the number you are referring to is the number (40 T) The THOR was ship 40 and "T" stand for THOR.