Cheap EK's !!!

[Chris Boonzaier]

Lets forget makers and counting teeth on the rim.....

Which EKs were the "cheapest" as far as earning them went...


1813..70..1914..39....

Have some thoughts on the subject but am off to work... anyone have any thoughts...

[George Stimson]

There are several factors to consider -- number of EKs awarded, length of conflict, number of men serving.... An interesting question! Can anybody do the math on it?

[Robin Lumsden]

'Cheapest' was the EK2 of 1914.

Before the Wound Badge was instituted in 1918, every soldier who was seriously wounded got the EK2.

Not an easy way to earn one, granted, but no act of bravery or length of service was required.

It was the same in WW2 - every soldier who got the Silver Wound Badge automatically got the EK2. Try finding a photo of a soldier with the Silver Wound Badge who did not also have the EK2. Hospital doctors kept boxes of EK2s to distribute to those seriously wounded.

[Frosch]

Of the 200+ Militärpässe in my collection, the majority of them contain EK2 award entries. However, even without doing a statistical analysis and allowing for the fact that I tend to acquire documents with award entries rather than those with none, I cannot agree that every soldier who was wounded automatically got an EK2. There are plenty of exceptions.

The problem with equating silver wound badge awards to EK2s is compounded by the fact that the wound badge was instituted late in the war and awards were often granted long after the end of hostilities (like some EK1 awards, too). Not all of these wound badge awards can be attributed to an EK2 winner as document groups are frequently split up, or the wound badge award was simply not recorded other than on the award document itself.

I have one example of a Militärpass for a soldier wounded several times throughout the war and promoted for bravery in the face of the enemy. His Militärpass was probably closed when he was demobilised in November 1918, but it does not contain one single reference to an award of any kind.

Another example I can quote is for an NCO in a regimental bakery. I have his EK2 award document, which frankly defies explanation, in my opinion (combat bakers?).

Although not EK or combat-related, I also have a Militärpass for a station master and member of a railway Direktion who was awarded the Saxon Albrechtskreuz with Swords in Silver. What did he do to win an award rated higher than the common FAM in bronze or silver for basic combat service?

Another problem about general award comparisons is the fact that many documents, if they are to be used for assessment purposes, often create a false impression by omission. Sometimes only one award is mentioned in a Soldbuch or Militärpass, while additional award documents to the same soldier indicate that he was entitled to wear more gongs than might have seemed the case on the basis of only the basic record.

I agree that some EK2 awards probably were awarded for wounds received, as demonstrated by later war awards for soldiers who were wounded early in the war and effectively unsuitable for any further active service.

Posthumous wound badge awards didn't automatically qualify for a 1939 EK2 award, either. If that had been the case, every KIA after 1939 would nominally have been entitled to the wound badge and EK2.

Perhaps some good regimental histories with detailed information on casualties and all awards to members of the given regiment would enable some useful staistice to be compiled.

I think it is fair to say the EK2 was awarded more liberally in 1914-18 than in any other conflict, but I would avoid calling it a "cheap" award. Unless, of course, you are referring to the standard Euro 30 price on German eBay.

/David

[Don D.]

There are several factors to consider -- number of EKs awarded, length of conflict, number of men serving.... An interesting question! Can anybody do the math on it?

Don't forget that "late war" awards were cheaper than those that recieved it early on. More of a morale boosting effort. So you could also divide a conflict up and compare award ratios that way.
Don

[Chris Boonzaier]

as far as WW1 goes, there was no automatic award.
I have 8for example) the group f a guy who participated in some of the worst fighting in Verdun (was wounded) Fought on the Somme, 3rd Ypres, Arras, Flanders again, worlds first tank attack at Flers etc etc..... frontline service started mid 15, wound mid 16 and EK 1918.
He is a good example that is mirrored in many groups.

WW2 is a different story, cant remember the exact dates, but 41-42(?) was the first time when the wherkreis was allowed to award EK2s to the wounded. This rule had been changed because the papers from the Division the guy came from often got lost. Silver wound-EK2 did indeed become an automatic award... but it still had to be signed by the assistant Wehrkreis commander (not a doctor, although it may seem that way).

Another thought... a group to a Uffz of a Jäger Regt in the Alpenkorps, an elite assault division.
served in France, Belgium, Russia, Romania, Serbia, hardest fighting in Verdun, many assaults, etc etc.
Awarded an EK2 in 1914 and an EK1 in 1916...basta... and par for the course.

A WW2 soldier who served on as many fronts may have had an EK2 and 1, Inf Assault, CCbt clasp, Ost medal, Krim Shield, Afrika Armband, wound badge and if he was a senior beginning to end Front swine like my WW1 group, maybe a DKiG.

Sure, soldiers from Hessen got a local medal or 2, bavarians as well, saxons as well....

But in WW2 there was simply more choice. Maybe the EK was awarded more sparingly... but there was a hell of a lot more things to award as well......

[Chris Boonzaier]

Don't forget that "late war" awards were cheaper than those that recieved it early on. More of a morale boosting effort. So you could also divide a conflict up and compare award ratios that way.
Don

Not automatically, if you see the EK as a "points" award, you will see 1918 had the most awards... but guys had been collecting "points" since 1916 to get it (or longer)

[Don D.]

But as disaster looms medals tend to be handed out. Even we colonials love to hand out awards for a disaster (Somalia).
JMHO
Don

[Robin Lumsden]

Just to reiterate, every soldier who was SERIOUSLY wounded (not slightly wounded) got the EK2 in WW!.

A serious wound was one which would have earned him the Silver Wound Badge after that badge was instituted in 1918.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Just to reiterate, every soldier who was SERIOUSLY wounded (not slightly wounded) got the EK2 in WW!.

A serious wound was one which would have earned him the Silver Wound Badge after that badge was instituted in 1918.

Hi,
That may be true in practise (to a large degree, although I know of a guy who lost his leg in 1916 and got zip) but then probably on the initiative of a local commander? I am approaching 280 WW1 Iron cross docs in the shelves and see no pattern of that being done from orders above, and definately not at hospital level.
A few were awarded back at the Ersatz Btln, but to few to use in a statistic.
There seems to be no official order that made this a regular practise.

The fact that it was only officially introduced well into WW2 may point in the direction that noone had considered it before that time.