Need Opinions on AFRIKA Cuff Award Doc

[trotlin13]

I have my thoughts - curious to read yours; especially any questions marks about the document. Also, I would be forever indebted if somebody could verify the unit. Thanks in advance,

[Hank C.]

Well, I don't know enough about unit designations to say for 100% sure, but I'd be VERY dubious of this.

Unless there's some sort of reason that Stalingrad and Tunis were somehow related in one office back in Germany, and the signers name was Bielefeld, which is actually a CITY in Germany.

Very wierd.

Hank

[Simon O.]

There actually is an Oberstleutnant Bielefeld listed in the '44 Heer rangliste.
I think perhaps 'unit' might be the wrong word for this. The one thing i can see connecting Tunis and Stalingrad is the numbers of German troops captured\lost at each place. That must have created mountains of paperwork so i just wonder if this wasn't an office or staff set up to deal with that?

[trotlin13]

Thanks for the help!!

Simon:

Your Stalingrad/Tunis connection seems very plausible. Any idea where I could research whether such an office existed?

[milcollector]

YES - there was indeed a stalingrad/tunis office. This unit is 100% correct.
Being a collector of Afrika Korps, I have seen many documents for it.
It was formed to handle missing men/POW's etc after the collapse of 6th Army at Stalingrand and the DAK in Tunisia.
I know it seems weird, but believe me it was real. Commonly seen are letterheads with this title. Because of the huge amount of paperwork that needed to be completed for all the thousands of men lost in these two campaigns it was necessary to create a special office.
The citation looks good to me, BUT it is always very difficult to verify award citiations. Personally I never buy them unless they come as a group, or I can analyse them close up. It is so easy to fake citations, but having said that, nothing jumps out as being wrong with this one. A faker would normally choose a more exciting unit and the title of the authorising officer is a little complex for a faker. Odds are it is good

AFRIKA cufftitle citations were mainly issued during 1944. They were also issued to German troops who had been captured and were POW in the USA, Canada, South Africa, Egypt or England. I have one myself as part of a group that was issued to his family whilst he was being held POW in Canada. This one you are looking at would be the same. I am pretty sure he also would have been POW or MIA a the time it was issued. That is why his unit is stated as being the Staingrad/Tunis workstaff rather than a field unit

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