occupation of sudetenland medal
i have recently obtained a wehrpass to a kriegsmarine engineer,on the awards page the sudetenland medal is awarded,my query is,what would a kriegsmarine engineer be doing in a country that has no coastline?If anyone knows the answer,or has any suggestions as to why this is, please let me know,your help will be gratefully appreciated! TIA
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Possible he was utilized for river patrols. Maybe he had an equipment specialization that was needed to asertain the value of abandoned or confiscated machinery. -
My understanding of this, from German veterans, is that a certain number of men were simply assigned to go as representatives of their branch of service on these so called "flower campaigns." They didn't actually DO anything more than march in parades.
Apparently the Navy, in particular, had its collective nose out of joint at being left out of the Austrian Anschluss. The vast difference in numbers awarded for that, and the subsequent Sudeten and Bohemian/Moravian annexations are partly explained by piling on uniformed "tourists" like Karl Do"nitz to the later occupations.Comment
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Dont forget that the oct38 and anschluss medals could be awarded to guys who never even left Germany.
Hitler was the guy who thought they were cheaply awarded and insisted that the Meml medal wozuld only be awarded to guys who actually marched in there, thus cutting down the large awrd numbersComment
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You beat me to it Yorkie,
I was just about to ask why an assistant paymaster on a supply ship would have received the Sudetenland medal, with the award document originating in Wilhelmshaven from the North Sea Commanding Admiral (number 67 for 1939 by the way), but now I've got a better idea!Comment
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Added to my above post, think it was enough to be involved in administration work or anything else remotely relating to the occupation, you did not even have to cross the border.
I have twice had Oct 38 docs to KZ Guards, both of whom never crossed the border (as far as I could find out).
A similar example is Model getting the spanish cross in Bronze without swords, and never having served in Spain.
[ 27 May 2001: Message edited by: Chris Boonzaier ]Comment
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