Oak leaves, swords -n- diamonds, was Rudel the only one?

[Sebastian Bianchi]

I recieved the following e-mail..

"...mistake in your web. I read that Hans Ulrich Rudel was the lone recipient of Golden Oak leaves, Swords and diamonds. But I read in Ian Kersahw's book "Hitler 1936 1945" that June 6th in Finland, the Finish hero Reich Marshall Mannerheim in his train, Hitler gave to him a Golden Oak Leaves Swords and diamonds."

I think I may have heard of this before too, where does this information come from? I supposed it has never been verified, but, is there any truth to it?

Seba

[Angel Farré]

According to all sources I have seen December 29th, 1.944 is the offical date of institution of the Golden Oakleaves and this medal was destined to the 12 more prominent German war heroes, how a Finish could won it on June 6th from Hitler? I misunderstood your previous post or the Führer comes back from the dead to award it to Mannerheim? I think that Mannerheim received the Oakleaves, perhaps is a mistake and the author of the e-mail refers to the award of the Oakleaves to the Finish Marshall. Anyone knows when he received the Oakleaves? I think that Rudel was the only one awarded such medal, another award must be given more atention in the german press and by Goebels.

Cheers

Angel

[Tim C]

Hi all,

as I understand it Rudel was the one and only recipient.

I have his progression as follows:

10 Nov '39 Iron Cross 2nd class
18 Jul '41 - Iron Cross 1st class
15 Jan '42 - Knight's Cross
14 Apr '43 - Oakleaves
25 Nov '43 - Swords
29 Mar '44 - Diamonds
01 Jan '45 - Golden

And am happy to be proven wrong, bur didn't Finland negotiate an armistice with the Russians around 4 Sept '44 ??

I doubt AH would be handing out awards for that....

Regards,
Tim

[W. C. Stump]

A FINISH FAIRY TALE

This is a "Finish Fairy Tale", or for sure just a fairy tale. No factual documentation is on record to support this story. The only such official award is shown here with Rudel's medals.

[Sebastian Bianchi]

I assumed the author of the e-mail had made a mistake on the date, but I had heard of "the Finnish fairy tale" before. Of course June 6th any year ('44 or '45) is impossible but this story still goes around...

Seba

[Angel Farré]

Mr. Stump I have read in the book "Luftwaffe Aces" by Franz Kurowski in an nterview with Ludwig Havingorst that he was with Rudel in a POW camp and that Rudel destroyed his medals instead given them to a british officer and that the rest of the officers do the same, Is this true? Also what's the date of award of the DKiG to Rudel? I know that his wife has the award citations to the OL, OL with S and OL with S and D, do you know if she has any other of his documents?

Cheers

Angel Farré

[Dez H]

Hi Angel

Hope you don't mind me butting in here, On December 30 1941, just five days after flying his 500th mission Rudel received his German Cross in Gold. This was presented by General Freiherr Wolfram von Richthofen, who was Manfred von Richthofen's cousin, the famous fighter pilot from WWI.


Dez


P.S. I have always heard conflicting stories surrounding Rudel’s decorations fate. Some have said they got destroyed in the POW camp and other say they got smuggled out.

[Angel Farré]

Thanks Dez, for what I have read I situate the date around the end of 1.941, but other source give ma March 1.942 so this was my doubt as I concentrate my library more in the Heer than in LW. I also thought that his medals were taken away by a British soldier or officer but after reading this interview with a veteran doubts assault me, I hope someone who has first hand information can close this discusion.

Angel

[Sebastian Bianchi]

I should clarify this a little – I have stated in my site that Rudel was the only recipient, and I’m not about to change that. I have no doubt he was the only one. I’m not one to believe in fairly tales, theories, or uncorroborated stories. What I am wondering is where Ian Kersahw got his information from, every story has a beginning that usually includes some inkling of truth, unless it is completely fabricated (which it may well be). Does anyone have this book?

Seba

[Denis]

I got it but this is in 2 volume (if we talk about AH's biography) sincee Mr Kershaw wrote several books dealing with 3rd Reich. he is a noted researcher.
The problem is that the bio represents 2,000 pages. I will try, If I remember to have a look in the 2nd part (covering 1936-45 years) to see that point.

[Dez H]

June 6 1944 was D – Day, the allies landing on the beaches in Normandy. I think Hitler had more pressing issues on his mind this day rather than flittering away the Reich’s best awards.


Dez

[Dez H]

Just another point.....

In David Irving’s book entitled: Hitler’s War Millennium Edition on page 726 he states the following:

…..On August 17 Keitel had decorated Marshal Mannerheim with a high German award; but Mannerheim had pointy responded that the Finnish people had made him president in place of Ryti because they objected to the latter’s pro-German policies…….


This book goes into no further details, but this occurred in 1944. Perhaps Ian Kersahw somehow got this mixed up or he is referring to another decoration altogether?


Dez

[W. C. Stump]

RUDEL'S MEDALS

The story of Hans Ulrich Rudel and his highest award for valor, the Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, is a bit hard to arrange in the sequence of historic events that took place in the closing months of W.W.II. He was awarded the gold set on January 1, 1945 based on a decree from Hitler dated December 29th, 1944.. However, rest assured that the medals shown in the photograph I posted are all in the possession of the Rudel family today. The family has been offer a reported one million dollars for all the medals, but thus far have not accepted the offer. If you will note in the photograph, Rudel has TWO sets of the Golden Oak Leaves and Diamonds. One is a duplicate set and not of the diamond quality as the original which had a much higher quality diamonds set in fine 750 gold. The stones were of low grade quality, but the setting was also 750 fine gold with 58 diamonds. BOTH sets were presented to him at the same time. Hitler had envisioned presenting a total of only 12 possible recipients, but Rudel was the one and only recipient to be bestowed this award. Finally, the "great escape" from the Russians was just that. He escaped and used his Golden Oak Leaves and Swords and Knights Cross to get back in to the German lines when challenged by a German sentry. He never lost any of his awards. As for the duplicate set, he wore it and kept the original at home. As per documents, it is highly unlikely that he ever received the large presentation documents past the Oak Leaves due to the late period that the other awards were bestowed.

[Sebastian Bianchi]

What "great escape" are you refering to? When he crash landed in Russia during the war and made his way back to German lines?

Because when he surrendered, he flew his Stuka into an Allied airfield, crashlanding so as to make their planes worthless.

Seba

[von ropen]

Well It is me who have just write up the mail. I read as I say on Ian Kershaw's book, on second volume. I really read a trasnlation to English to Spanish, so may be the traslater made a mistake, If some one has the book in spanish I can give the pages. But I repeat june 4th Carl Gustaf Von mannerheim recived de cross from Hitler in his birthday.
If someone want I can translate word by words. From the spanish translation, of corse...