German Paratrooper Grouping : This is a grouping which came direct from a German Auction house in Nov 2007. It consists of one Bulgarian Cross, one unknown ribbon in white and gold, one German campaign in Russia medal, one war Merit Cross in Bronze with swords, one cut Kreta sleeve band and one Iron Cross second class.

Here are some details: The Bulgarian soldiers cross was awarded in WWI and WW2 to soldiers involved in the Balkans campaign by Bulgaria. They were dated 1915 and 1941. This one is the 1915 version but both were given in World War Two.

The Kreta (Crete), Cuffband was introduced on October 16th 1942, for award to personnel who participated in the successful assault on the Mediterranean island of Crete. The Kreta cufftitle was considered a military combat decoration, and as such, was awarded with a corresponding award document and entered into the recipient’s official military service documentation. The award was opened to personnel in all three branches of service who had actively been involved in the invasion of Crete. The "Kreta" cufftitle was worn on the lower left sleeve of the field blouse, service tunic and greatcoat by all eligible personnel with no differentiation for rank. This example has been cut in two. However It is an excellent example to compare the stich patterns, RB Number and fabric against the many replicas.

The Iron Cross was awarded for bravery in battle as well as other military contributions in a battlefield environment. You can get more detail on the Iron Cross here. This particular example is a good solid example, slightly worn in places but comes with the original ribbon and medal bracket.

The German Winter Campaign in Russia 1941 1942 Medal: Issued for service in the Winter Campaign in Russia 1941-1942. Referred to as the Ostmedaille, (East Medal), unofficially called the, “Frozen Flesh Medal,” by the German soldiers who suffered the weather in the Russian Winter Campaign. Interestingly, it was designed by SS-Unterscharführer Ernst Kraus.

The front and backside of the medal has a dark gray overall finish, which is a natural aging characteristic of this particular medal over long periods of storage. It retains some of its original 'silvering' round the edge of the medal. The medal has a 5 -inch ribbon that exhibits light age and light soil from handling. The ribbon and medal are separate.

The War Merit Cross was created by Adolf Hitler in 1939 as a successor to the non-combatant Iron Cross which was used in earlier wars (same medal but with a different ribbon). The award was graded the same as the Iron Cross: War Merit Cross Second Class, War Merit Cross First Class, and Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross. This award has been very well used and the handle of one of the swords has broken off. There is much soiling to the award - it has been used and worn in the field.

A nice little Paratrooper medal grouping and quite unusual with the Bulgarian Cross included!

	Postage, Packaging & Handling:				Status:
Cost	UK	Europe	USA & Canada	Australia & Far East	On Hold
£205	£2.50	£3.10	£7.80	£8.00

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