Hi Tom, this variation is not common as the others Kreta CTs and it is indeed a nice piece.
About the numbers they are IMO an unknown addition, they look not stamped but hand made, so I tend to believe they are not the mm stamp. I know only one stamp found on this variation.
But wait, there is more to this. This cufftitle came with this Luftwaffe Oberstlt. Spanish Cross in Silver winner. The Spanish Cross is 900 marked. The Luftwaffe officer was promoted from Oberst to Oberstlt. Typical frugal German fashion, he simply had another gull added to his Oberst rank tabs to become Oberstlt. ones.
I have always wanted to find out the identity of this Lufttwaffe officer. He took part in the Spanish Civil War and the Kreta campaign for sure, but I don't know anything more. He probably ended the war as an Oberstlt.
The person I got the group from said he thougt his name was Schultz or something like that. If he was not a KC or German Cross winner, it is difficult to identify him.
Dale,
thanks for your correction on the rank changes. Of course you are correct, he went from Major to Oberstlt., not Oberst to Oberstlt.. Just not thinking when I wrote that.
Since my fried was pretty sure about the recipient being named Schultz or Schulz, I took a chance and checked Die Luftwaffen-Rangliste 1945. There was only one Oberstlt. named Schulz in 1945 (see p.81):
Oberstlt. Walter Schulz (Major 01.07.41 (19)
geboren: 18.11.06
Kdr. III./Fsch.Jäg.Ers. u. Ausb. Rgt. 1
This makes sense, since he was not an RK or DKiG winner. His attachment to Fallschirm Jäger Rgt. 1 might explain the Kreta cufftitle. Now I just need to do some more research to see if he took part in the Spanish Civil War to get the Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords.
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