'Importance' of KVK

[Darren]

Hello,

I have been doing a little research on the War Merit Cross,and was wondering just how much importance was given to the occasion when it was awarded. In particular, was there usually a ceremony when a soldier received the 2nd class award with swords? What examples can one give of bravery that is not necessarily in the face of the enemy? Is there any award that falls between the War Merit Cross and the Iron Cross 2nd class?

regards

[paddywhack]

hi darren!

id say the 2nd class and war merit medal class of the kvk wasnt to highly regard in genaral (though its not always the case!) as they were churned out in the millions in fact the war merit medal was added to stop the 2nd class being "devalued" so to speak! and it was as far as i know the only medal to have a lower class added to it! as for the 1st class it wasnt held as in high reguard as the ek 1st but more so then the 2nd! i personly think that they were mostly used to pad so to speak out medel bars and ribbion bars! as for somethings inbetween the ek and the kvk id have to the IABs or the GABs
as for example of not being in the face of combat id say if someone was constantly under artillary fire while delevering ammo or stuff like that to troops on a regular basis! as for cermoney not for the 2nd class as far as i know but i think in genaral awads cermony the 1st class was given out!
hope this helps!

[Darren]

Thanks paddywack for your input. Very helpful indeed. I had a feeling that with 6 million + handed out during the war, it's prestige would be tarnished just a little. Did the German military have an equivalent award of the U.S. Good conduct Medal? It is rare indeed for a American serviceman not to have one of these, so I would expect that a German equivalent would be handed out like popcorn as well. I can see that a good candidate for the KVK would most likely have indirect contact with the enemy, as in a military support role. I would say that bravery comes in many different forms.

regards

[Angel Farré]

I think that we, collectors, are those that devaluated the KVK more than the huge award number that ended with the introduction of the Merit Medal, I have seen a lot of examples of truly bravery not in contact with the enemy that ended in the award of the KVK and seen a lot of photos from award ceremonies to both 2nd and 1st classes. I have talked with vets and usually were not so surprised when received the KVK if they served in frontline units, but rear ones, and I mean in the inmediate vicinite of the frontline, have in high pride their KVKs. Surely they have not the glamour of an EK, but were not given as a present, problem was that politically were used to boosted morale awarding tham in mass (the 2nd class) so people tend to think that were part of the kit more than a truly award.

I have seen photos of ceremonies in front of the unit to reward with KVK the work of supply drivers, mechanics and transmision personal and the rewarding officer was the General in command or the Armee Korps chef.

We must start to think about it as a real award more than just an interesting add to a medal bar or a citation group.

Angel

[Robert P.]

Hello, Gentlemen.

I never knew that the KVK1 wasn't thought of as an honor to win. I have always ranked them in my mind right up with the EK's. Certainly they must have been looked on by the recipient as a favorable award. They were the first thing I remember coming into contact with along with the EKll Spanges at age 7 or 8. My best friend's dad had white cards full of German awards from the war. I know this is where the desire to collect came from. And the funny thing is, a majority of the awards on the white cards were KVK1's with and without swords. I love 'em. I believe Paddywack is right when he says that the KVK awards were given out for war merit opposed to actual frontline combat. I know we here in the America Army have the Army Commendation Medal given for merit while in support of combat troops, although this medal can also be given with the 'V' device to denote valor in a combat situation.

Robert

[Frank Scheepers]

Look at this and tell me what you think what they thought about the KVK1 with swords.

FranK Scheepers

[Blitz]

I understand some of it, but not all.. Could you translate it to us, Frank?

[Stijn David]

War Merit Crosses

Hello,

I agree totally with Angel and the others who keep this award in very high regards. It is true that some guys might have received it as a kind of moral boost but just to say that for example a Luftschutz member who earned the Kvk 2 nd. class did win it for nothing is certainly a wrong interpretation. Just think on the horrors of the bombing and the hard and dangerous work that a person had to do, to save lives etc .... => in such cases a award as the KVK was more than earned.

There can be many examples given and im in full support of this highly underestimated award.

Cordial greetings,

[Frank Scheepers]

I understand some of it, but not all.. Could you translate it to us, Frank?

I can try.

"Der Oberbefahlhaber der luftwaffe" bestowed upon you , at 12.11.'41 in Naman , the KVK1 with swords.
I wish you good fortune with this high award , which represents the reckoning of you and your "Unteratellte Kommandantur" , bestowed for the special leadership in Greece and Russia... (can't translate this part)

ger. Meissner
Oberstleutnant und
nachschusführer.


If someone can translate it better , please do , my german isn't exactly very good

Frank Scheepers

[George Stimson]

I know that I'm technically incorrect to do so, but I consider the KVK to be the WW2 version of the non-combatant EK.

[Blitz]

Frank that allready helped! I have always liked KvKs. They are quite beautifull especially mit Schwertern. While the EK always has and will be held in a greater esteem then the KvK, I don't think that the ones who received them thought about that. Weither they earned an EK by knocking out T-34s by Panzerfaust on the Eastern front or earned a KvK by rescuing kids from a cellar under the rubble of a collapsed building after an Allied air-raid, it was hard earned and held with high regard by their recipients.

[Frank Scheepers]

I know that I'm technically incorrect to do so, but I consider the KVK to be the WW2 version of the non-combatant EK.

Wow , I thought I was the only one who thought that.
I'm deeply in love with the KVK , I heard some stories , which I can't recall , that some people had to do alot more to recieve a KVK2 then some did to recieve their EK2

Frank Scheepers

[Rick Research]

The KVK-- in both "with swords" and "without swords" is a perfect example of awards that could-- and were-- awarded for virtually anything...


and very often for nothing at all.


Here is a thread dealing with part of the problem-- civilians faced an absolute annual quota, and authorities given permission to award X or XXX number per annum and that was IT, were often stingy to the point of unfairness:


http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=42368

Generally, the higher the rank, the less was actually done to DESERVE one of these. I had a Luftwaffe reserve officer, who got his KVK2X in 1942 for sitting on the Rhine for 3 years at a flak listening post, call it the "Sitzfleischorden."

Yet a KVK2X to a frontline NCO-- particularly a junior one, would have been much more significant.

[Robert P.]

It did me good and reconfirmed our beliefs as to the criteria for the issuance of the award(s) of the KVK to simply go back and reread the forum's purpose of the award.>>>>>>





The War Merit Cross with Swords recognized those military men whose acts of courage were above the call of duty, yet did not meet the criteria for the Iron Cross. These acts could either be in the form of bravery not under direct enemy fire or the planning/leading of combat operations. All members of the military were eligible without distinction to rank, and non-Germans Allies were equally eligible. The Cross without swords was awarded for general meritorious actions. Military personnel who qualified for the War Merit Cross in an administrative, medical, or other service away from the front line received this award, as did civilians whose contributions were of significant importance to the war effort. Civilians were awarded the distinction without regard to age or social class, from Diplomats to factory floor workers.

Respects.
Robert

[jwburchell]

Gentlemen:
My rusty knowledge of German would have the last paragraph of the letter read, in versioned translation:
"Due to your efforts a great deal was achieved, especially in Greece and Russia, under the most difficult battle conditions".
Sure sounds to me like the recipient deserved his decoration.
Cheers! John