Hitler's Iron Cross

[Jon. H]

Here is a great shot of Hitler's Ek1 (One of them)

This one here appears to be non vaulted.


From LIFE

HitlerEK1,2.jpg

[redjames2004]

I owns three cigarette album card pictures of Hitler in various outfits. Two pictures of him wearing his 1914 EK1 on his SA uniform and double-breasted military-style tunic. One picture show Hitler in formal dress frock and black top hat. He was very proud to wear his 1914 EK1 in public. Thanks!

[smitty]

Der Fuhrer's EK1

I believe that Stephen Wolfe has one of Hitlers uniforms with the EK1 on it. You can see it in Wolfe and Hardins brochure, and on their website. It is www.wolfehardin.com . Go to page 8. I have seen the uniform in person with some other Hitler artifacts, truly amazing to see. Smitty.

[andrewb]

I think the citizens of Vienna may recall the Soviet occupation. Something like 25000 women were raped in the first 24 hours.

Bob Hritz

Off the topic but my mum and her sister fled their hometown of St. Polten, 60km West of Vienna and headed West on hearing that the Russians were advancing into Vienna. The word had got out that the women were being raped by them.

Mum ended up in Salzburg where the Americans liberated the town. Two years later she married my Dad, a Russian POW!!! Love has no barriers.

Regards,
AB.

[andrewb]

I believe that Stephen Wolfe has one of Hitlers uniforms with the EK1 on it. You can see it in Wolfe and Hardins brochure, and on their website. It is www.wolfehardin.com . Go to page 8. I have seen the uniform in person with some other Hitler artifacts, truly amazing to see. Smitty.

Correct. I've seen it too and touch it. Just had to. I believe his GPB is numbered '3' and not '7'.

See it all here.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=stephen+wolfe

Regards,
AB.

[ErichS]

Correct. I've seen it too and touch it. Just had to. I believe his GPB is numbered '3' and not '7'.

See it all here.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=stephen+wolfe

Regards,
AB.

Hitler's GPB is number 1.

[Jon. H]

Hitler's GPB is number 1.

Erich is correct, Hitler's GPB number is 1.

[juoneen]

I must recant my opinion due to video evidence...

I was watching a documentary on hitlers rise to power tonight,(fatal attraction of hitler part 1) and did see him in the early years wearing a slightly vaulted cross.He was speaking, and turned to the side, and i immediately knew i was incorrect.
I had never seen him wear but flat versions,and always paid attention any time i saw him in films .... so i recant him only having a flat one, and agree he must have had flat and slightly vaulted both.

I agree with the other posting individual george stimson...that said they saw him wearing a vaulted version. He had to have had both types. But the one i saw was not a seriously vaulted example.

Evidently in ww1 at flanders , hitler was a messenger to the trenches, and won the IC there, and one more time after. So he was awarded it twice. I would imagine the 2nd class first, then the first class as his second. But again i am only assuming this.

It stated the winning of the IC was the happiest day of his life.

I cannot sense any shame from those who knew him that heard him say so.

He earned it running thru miles of trenches in mud up to his knees, while dodging artillery bombardment, and snipers. He was also blinded for several weeks by a gas attack, so possibly that's where he got the wound badge.

They claimed he led a group out of the gas, by divine intervention, as they held on to each others coat tails,trusting him in a long procession. It was supposedly in the hospital while blind that he had visions of the future to come, then all at once his sight returned miraculously.

Can anyone verify if he won the iC ll , and the iC l , or if he won 2 first class versions. I was under the impression you must earn the 2nd version before the first class . One other thing i noticed was he kept his first class cross always shiny . Somewhere someday they may find the proof of what cross he earned by maker .

I also know a big collector who in 68 argued with me that hitlers party badge was #seven, and that he owned one. I felt he had to have number 1, but he would never agree with me, but then again german ones look like a 7 . He is george marinos , and still holds to the opinion to this day..

I think hitler... after joining the party with a higher number,... revamped the mebership numbers later after taking control of the nsdap...to make his number #1...does anyone agree, or disagree that he may have changed his membership number later on ? ?

[George Stimson]

He did win the Second Class grade. Here's a pic of him during the Great War with the EK ribbon on his tunic.

[Kraal]

I was watching a documentary on hitlers rise to power tonight,(fatal attraction of hitler part 1) and did see him in the early years wearing a slightly vaulted cross.He was speaking, and turned to the side, and i immediately knew i was incorrect.
I had never seen him wear but flat versions,and always paid attention any time i saw him in films .... so i recant him only having a flat one, and agree he must have had flat and slightly vaulted both.

I agree with the other posting individual george stimson...that said they saw him wearing a vaulted version. He had to have had both types. But the one i saw was not a seriously vaulted example.

Evidently in ww1 at flanders , hitler was a messenger to the trenches, and won the IC there, and one more time after. So he was awarded it twice. I would imagine the 2nd class first, then the first class as his second. But again i am only assuming this.

It stated the winning of the IC was the happiest day of his life.

I cannot sense any shame from those who knew him that heard him say so.

He earned it running thru miles of trenches in mud up to his knees, while dodging artillery bombardment, and snipers. He was also blinded for several weeks by a gas attack, so possibly that's where he got the wound badge.

They claimed he led a group out of the gas, by divine intervention, as they held on to each others coat tails,trusting him in a long procession. It was supposedly in the hospital while blind that he had visions of the future to come, then all at once his sight returned miraculously.

Can anyone verify if he won the iC ll , and the iC l , or if he won 2 first class versions. I was under the impression you must earn the 2nd version before the first class . One other thing i noticed was he kept his first class cross always shiny . Somewhere someday they may find the proof of what cross he earned by maker .

I also know a big collector who in 68 argued with me that hitlers party badge was #seven, and that he owned one. I felt he had to have number 1, but he would never agree with me, but then again german ones look like a 7 . He is george marinos , and still holds to the opinion to this day..

I think hitler... after joining the party with a higher number,... revamped the mebership numbers later after taking control of the nsdap...to make his number #1...does anyone agree, or disagree that he may have changed his membership number later on ? ?

Well heres the truth about Hitlers ICs..

Hitler was never an outstanding soldier. He was quite a usual guy who paid its dues. As many soldiers he was awarded with the IC 2nd class just to keep up the morale of the cannon fodder, his "act of bravery" was nothing than pure duty as it was expected from all other soldiers as well, but Hitler was lucky. He gained his IC 1st class as he brought a message from his troop leader to the soldiers under enemy fire because his leutnant promised the IC1st class to him if he reaches the lines, well, actually he thought that Hitler would die anyway, but Hitler didn´t. Again, Hitler did nothing more than just to do his duty, but his leutnant annoyed the higher officer over a month so Hitler gained the IC 1st class. Hitler just had great luck twice.

[George Stimson]

He had great luck more than twice!
(And then there was that string of bad luck.... )

[Stahlhelm]

Hitlers badge was most certainly a flat common version , many times passed by collectors when out buying, over a vaulted one. I have never seen hitler wearing anything but the plain flat issue version he treasured as much as the BWB.

Back to the subject of Hitler's EK1, I have a few things to add. Pardon me if any or all of these things have been said before in this thread. I may have missed something in my reading. However, I don't recall reading anyone mention ever seeing Hitler wear a vaulted EK1, and I do have something to add about that, for sure.

I have been very interested in knowing about the types of EK1s (flat, vaulted, screwback, etc.) that Hitler wore. In studying various period photos and film footage, I have seen him wearing, of course, the flat type, in both pinback and screwback versions. In one documetary's footage, I distinctly saw Hitler's EK1 spun a bit to the right. Since I doubt that he would have put in on sideways, it makes me believe (without any doubt) that it was a screwback type which had rotated a bit.

In other documentary footage, I also saw what distinctly appeared to be a vaulted EK1 on his uniform shirt. The vaulted type in wear, of course, have that distinctly tighter-gripping fit, which is even visible in photos. I have seen that in at least one instance of period footage of Hitler wearing an EK1.

I know the documentary with the scene of the spun screwback EK1, but I would have to rewatch a few to find the one with the vaulted cross.

Chris

[ErichS]

I was watching a documentary on hitlers rise to power tonight,(fatal attraction of hitler part 1) and did see him in the early years wearing a slightly vaulted cross.He was speaking, and turned to the side, and i immediately knew i was incorrect.
I had never seen him wear but flat versions,and always paid attention any time i saw him in films .... so i recant him only having a flat one, and agree he must have had flat and slightly vaulted both.

I agree with the other posting individual george stimson...that said they saw him wearing a vaulted version. He had to have had both types. But the one i saw was not a seriously vaulted example.

Evidently in ww1 at flanders , hitler was a messenger to the trenches, and won the IC there, and one more time after. So he was awarded it twice. I would imagine the 2nd class first, then the first class as his second. But again i am only assuming this.

It stated the winning of the IC was the happiest day of his life.

I cannot sense any shame from those who knew him that heard him say so.

He earned it running thru miles of trenches in mud up to his knees, while dodging artillery bombardment, and snipers. He was also blinded for several weeks by a gas attack, so possibly that's where he got the wound badge.

They claimed he led a group out of the gas, by divine intervention, as they held on to each others coat tails,trusting him in a long procession. It was supposedly in the hospital while blind that he had visions of the future to come, then all at once his sight returned miraculously.

Can anyone verify if he won the iC ll , and the iC l , or if he won 2 first class versions. I was under the impression you must earn the 2nd version before the first class . One other thing i noticed was he kept his first class cross always shiny . Somewhere someday they may find the proof of what cross he earned by maker .

I also know a big collector who in 68 argued with me that hitlers party badge was #seven, and that he owned one. I felt he had to have number 1, but he would never agree with me, but then again german ones look like a 7 . He is george marinos , and still holds to the opinion to this day..

I think hitler... after joining the party with a higher number,... revamped the mebership numbers later after taking control of the nsdap...to make his number #1...does anyone agree, or disagree that he may have changed his membership number later on ? ?

Hitler took Party # 1 after the Party was reformed in 1925.

[DaveNZ]

Well heres the truth about Hitlers ICs..

Hitler was never an outstanding soldier. He was quite a usual guy who paid its dues. As many soldiers he was awarded with the IC 2nd class just to keep up the morale of the cannon fodder, his "act of bravery" was nothing than pure duty as it was expected from all other soldiers as well, but Hitler was lucky. He gained his IC 1st class as he brought a message from his troop leader to the soldiers under enemy fire because his leutnant promised the IC1st class to him if he reaches the lines, well, actually he thought that Hitler would die anyway, but Hitler didn´t. Again, Hitler did nothing more than just to do his duty, but his leutnant annoyed the higher officer over a month so Hitler gained the IC 1st class. Hitler just had great luck twice.

I have read many versions of how Hitler got his EK's. HArd to know which one to believe.

However, if Hitler won his EK1 in such a dubious way, then why would he be so proud of it? doesnt fit in with Hitlers way of doing things really.

I cant imagine a troop leader dangling the prospect of an EK1 in such a manner as descirbed as above. Its the army, not scouts! My belief is that in WW1 especially, the EK1 took something more than just duty to be earnt.

Did "many" soldiers get the EK just to keep up morale in WW1? Thats not my understanding.

I guess as with all things to do with Hitler the objective truth lurks in there somewhere but is generally lost amongst peoples emotive opinions and political agendas.

[Steinar]

what a shame Hitler didn't die in WW1..