Fallschirm- Artillerie Kretaspringer group

[Prosper Keating]

What can I say? The documents speak for themselves. Some of you will know what's particularly special about this group so don't say anything. The others can have a think about it and tell us.

PK







Taking too long to load...so I'm splitting it into two posts.

PK

[Prosper Keating]

[Willi Z.]

Fascinating group Prosper! I won't spoil it, but I found 2 very unique details to the grouping.....

Willi

[JYN]

Hi Willi,

I think one of the detail is the fact that Erwin Forkel' Sturmabzeichen certificate is signed by Generalleutnant Sponheimer (21.ID). In one word :WOLCHOW.

Combat sectors for the 2. Batterie are : Stoschkowo, Iwanowka, Alexejewo, Orlowo, Nikitino, Balka.


Jean-Yves

[Ian Tannahill]

Giday Prosper,

Thanks for sharing photographs of the documents with us.

Very, very few paratroopers received the Sturmabzeichen and the Ostmedaille. Like Jean-Yves has already said, I assume that Forkel was awarded the Sturmabzeichen for service at Wolchow.

I notice there was no certificate for the EK II. I assume Forkel would have received the EK II for service on Crete.

I have never seen an award certificate for the Kreta cufftitle where the recipient's details were written on the document. Very interesting.

All the best,

Ian

[Prosper Keating]

There is indeed no EK2 document with the group but it is entirely reasonable to assume that Forkel was awarded the EK2 for Crete. Very few paras got the Sturmabzeichen and the Ostmedaille, as you say, Ian. Were these the details you had in mind, Willi? Thank you, Jean-Yves, for the information! It is most useful in my efforts to build up a dossier on Forkel's travels between 1940 and 1945. The handwritten Kreta document is the only one I have seen too. I believe the EK1 awarded in December 1943 might have been for the defence of Sicily (July - September 1943). 1 FJD had a very brief rest in and around Brindisi in late August and early September after the withdrawal from Sicily. However, elements of the division were the last to leave Sicily on September 17th, after the Allied invasion of Italy proper. On the other hand, it could have been for the fighting after the Allied invasion of the mainland. I need to find out where 1 FAR were in autumn and early winter 1943. And in 1944 and 1945. I know that Erwin Forkel survived the war but I do not know if he is still alive. I can probably find out. He presumably ended WW2 with the rest of 1 FJD in Northern Italy.

PK

[Prosper Keating]

Of course, some other paras got the GAB too.





PK

[alexandre]

collar tabs

Hello,

Just a question about the collar tab color of the first pic .
The correct waffenfarbe should not be red for a soldier serving in
an artillerie-regiment ?
I thought the fallschirm-division used the same system of
color for their branches (black for pionneers , brown for signal etc..)

best regards ,

Alexandre ,

[Prosper Keating]

It's a black & white photo.

PK

[alexandre]

collar tab

Hello prosper ,

Thank you for your answer ,
I know it's very difficult to determine a color on
a black and white pic , but the collar tabs of the portrait seems
yellow . If I compare with some pics of flack soldiers , their tabs
appears a lot darker..just a thought !

Alexandre

[Prosper Keating]

It's a good point. Maybe some other members would like to comment on this. I can assure you, though, that this is a photograph of Erwin Forkel. If you look at the piping around the collar and the shoulder straps, it seems darker. Also, look at the exposure of the photograph. It is a bit 'soft' so I am not sure that we can rely upon halftones and greyscale to determine the exact colour of the waffenfarbe.

PK