Destroyer Badge Document Question

[Gary B]

Hi,

Attached is a document for a sailor of the Anton Schmitt. The date of award is 19 Okt 1940 which is 6 months after the ship was sunk. Am I correct in assuming this was awarded either posthumously or was just awarded after the sinking of the ship?

Gary B

[Tom Yanacek]

I like it! Can I have it?

Hi Gary,

What a nice document! As you know Z-22 (Anton Schmitt) was sunk at Narvik. Of the ships complement of 323 men, 50 were lost so odds are good that this was one of the survivors. The ship's commander, Fregattenkapitän Friedrich Böhme, also survived the sinking.

The document is signed by the Flag Officer of Destroyers (FdZ) Kapitän zur See Erich Bey.

Best regards,
Tom

[Brian R]

Gary - You are correct. This document was awarded (almost definitely) as a result of the sinking of the Anton Schmitt. The Destroyer Badge was initiated in October, 1940 so the timing makes sense. Although this could be a posthumous award, its impossible to say without knowing what happened to the recipient. Plenty of guys received Destroyer badges for actions at Narvik who lived to talk about it.

Great doc!

[Gary B]

Thanks for hte reply!!

Gary B

[mrg]

A nice document to have