Possible to receive Iron Cross 1st Class twice?

Discussion in 'Axis Units' started by RosyRedd, Dec 12, 2020.

  1. RosyRedd

    RosyRedd Senior Member

    Hello all. This might be a dumb question, and I’ve tried to google an answer but haven’t been particularly successful. More specifically, if a soldier received an Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class in WWI, would it have been possible for the same soldier to receive another Iron Cross 1st Class during WW2, does anyone know, please?
     
  2. steelers708

    steelers708 Junior Member

    Not as such. I f you had received either of the two classes in WWI and you would have received the same award in WWII you were awarded the 1939 Spange which would be worn on the ribbon of the 1914 Iron Cross. The 1914 ribbon would normally be seen worn looped on the second buttonhole.

    OIP (1).jpg

    gallery_160_25_42689.jpg
     
  3. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    The Spange worn on the ribbon would of been for the repeat winning of the EK II (the Spange representing the WW2 version.) If the EK-I was then awarded and he had already won it during WW-1, a different version of the Spange would be worn above the WW-1 EK-I.

    1234.jpg
     
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  4. RosyRedd

    RosyRedd Senior Member

    Thanks very much steelers and hucks - and for the images. I realise now that there does seem to be a spange on the button ribbon in the image I have.

    Does this mean a soldier would always have to receive a repeat EK-2 spange before they could receive a repeat EK-1, do you know?
     
  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Found this fascinating on attempting (unsuccessfully) to dig into it.
    Realised my understanding of German 'bars' & if they even existed is virtually nil.
     
  6. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    Yes they would
     
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  7. RosyRedd

    RosyRedd Senior Member

    Thanks again for the help hucks
     
  8. RosyRedd

    RosyRedd Senior Member

    Yeah - same here!
     
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  9. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    Here's a citation for one:

    20201220_002404.jpg
     
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  10. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    Soldbuch entry for both EK-2 Spange & EK-1 Spange, both awarded in 1940.

    20201220_003237.jpg
     
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  11. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    Variants from The Gentlemans Military History Club

    spange.jpg
    Kyle
     
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  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  13. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    The EK was donated four times by the respective heads of state on the occasion of a war between 1813 and 1939 (Napoleonic Wars of Liberation, Prussian-French War, WWI, WWII). Each time one could be acquired - thus purely theoretically four times (if someone had lived so long).
    With each renewed award no new EK was given, but a repetition clasp, which was to be worn on the ribbon or directly above the original cross.

    Mannerheim received EK II and EK I in WWI and WWII respectively.
    In WWI presumably after the Baltic Division under Rüdiger von der Goltz landed in southern Finland in early April 1918 to fight on Mannerheim's side in the Civil War. This intervention, however, involved far-reaching concessions to the German Empire, much to Mannerheim's displeasure. The orders were therefore probably also intended as appeasement.
    (By the way, they could only be awarded to foreigners since 1915).
     
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