EK1 identification Please

[Dion]

Hi Guys,

I`ve had this one in my collection for many years now and would love to know who the maker is? I`m no expert on EK`s and really cannot tell the difference between a Schickle or any other This one has no maker obviously and is vaulted. Has the Officers name and unit and date scratched on the obverse.
So, I`d really appreciate any info! Thanks in advance Gentlemen!

Dion

[Dion]

2

[Dansson]

IMO S&L

[sanya13]

+1

[Brian R]

Great cross - can you clearly see the name, unit and date scratched on the reverse?

[Dion]

Thanks for that information.

I can only make out the rank, name and date. ( Ltn Wolfgang Kuhne) and 1943! The u in Kuhne has the "umlaut".
I suppose I could research this at some stage?

Dion

[Brian R]

Yeah, it would be tough to research without having the unit - and even that would be hard. There was a Wolfgang Kühn who won the DKiG with a StuG unit in 1944, but he did not have an "e" in his name. Ultimately, it seems that the name is generic enough that there were probably multiple Wolfgang Kühnes who were EK1 winners as officers. Still, it's a great cross!!

[Dion]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for that info
But you`re not gonna believe this, I just had another closer look at the name,
and its NOT Kuehne, its KUEHN, without the e!! How I missed that is beyond me. I`ll try to take a pic and attach it here.

Dion

[Dion]

This is kind of the best I can do But, I think one can clearly see the surname?

[Hank C.]

A quick search on the Volksbund site, using 1944 (since 1943 is on the EK) as the missing/died date, returns over 600 results for the name "Kühn". So without a LOT more info, this is going to remain a mystery, I'm afraid.

best
Hank

Quick edit: And that's the died/missing. If he happened to have survived the war, or gone missing/killed in '45, there's even more names to search. Quite the needle in a haystack, me things. BUT - still a great cross!

[Brian R]

Hank is right. It would be great to nail down that unit info listed on the back of the cross. It's a long shot with any available unit info, and basically impossible without. Nonetheless, this is an awarded EK1 and far better, in my opinion, than so many of the crosses posted on this forum that lack any specific awarding history or provenance.

[Dion]

Thanks for that info.

If one had to look at the Rangdienstliste of `43, and then search for a Wolfgang, then I`m pretty sure its gonna narrow things down quite a bit?

But, anyway, thats for a later date when I`m very bored and not restoring a jeep!