Star of the Grand Cross Award

[John F.]

This past fall I was at the United States Military Academy Museum at West Point, New York and saw the only known existing German Star of the Grand Cross and was wondering why this medal never went into mass production? Was it because the end of the war was near? Also, what was/would have been the criteria for being awarded this medal other then being the next in line after the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross?

John

[Ralph A]

Hermann Goering had the only Grand Cross in existence, I believe (and is so stated on this site).

Maybe the star was awarded to him for trying to smuggle 20,000 amphetamine capsules into captivity?

[W. C. Stump]

STAR TO THE GRAND CROSS

The Star to the Grand Cross was never issued, but envisioned to be awarded to a deserving recipient whose single act of bravery was nation saving. the only other Grand Cross Stars were bestowed upon Field Marshal von Blucher in 1815 for helping defeat the French and again in 1918 to Field Marshal von Hindenburg for his heroic leadership during W.W.I..

The example at West Point, which I have had the pleasure of personally examining, was taken from the storage room of Klesshein Castle near Salzburg, Austria. It and a large number of other exotic awards, some with diamonds, were removed to the castle from the Orders Chancellery for safe keeping as Berlin was threatened by the allies. At the close of the war the castle was occupied by the U. S. Army and the hoard of decorations was looted. The higher and more valuable awards were recovered and sent to the West Point Military Museum. However, thousands of other great decorations continue to be discover from the many veterans who took them as war trophies. At least two variations of the Grand Cross Star were in the lot and have been offered for sale, one most recently.

[cmagnifico]

B. Stump,
Correct me if I'm wrong - it was nicknamed Cinderella's Castle.
At a recent show B.Shea was telling us of a first hand account he had with one of the U.S. Vets. How the U.S. government later ripped off one of the medals from the vet. Boy wish I had a tape recorder.
Apparently the vets piled mounds of the medals and badges on the turf outside the castle and passing vets helped themselves to some of the booty.

Gotta see B.Shea again and document the story......

Regards
CJ

[W. C. Stump]

STORY TRUE

The story is true and a good friend of mine hit the jackpot from one of the vets of the 3rd Division who had a treasure trove that one would think he had the keys to the Reich Orders Chancellery and helped himself to all the goodies stored inside.