EK1 and EK2 docs from Norwegian Polar Coast

[Brian R]

Hey guys -

I'm looking for some help with the following group... An EK1/EK2 combo to a Matrosenobergefreiten (I have the awards too - cased EK1 and packeted EK2).

The EK2 is dated September 10, 1943 and signed (stamped) by Admiral Nordman in Tromsø.

The EKI is dated November 30, 1944 and signed by Nordman's Adjutant in Finnfjordbotn.

I really don't have any idea what sort of unit he served in. I wonder if he was awarded his EKI for actions during the attacks on The Tirpitz in Tromsø in early November. I know Finnfjordbotn is not too far from Tromsø. I'm curious as to what sort of installation was there and whether they could have been processing paperwork there weeks after the attack.

Brian

[Brian R]

Ek1

[Simon O.]

Great pair of docs, KM EKI docs from one of the Norwegian 'coastal' admirals (Polar, North and West) are not common at all. At some point there would have been a minesweeper doc and perhaps a Lappland doc in the group.

This guy will have belonged to one of the Vorposten, Raumsboot or Minensuch flottillas operating in the coastal waters under the control of the Admiral of the Norwegian Polar Coast, his patch ran from Narvik right up to Petsamo. Neither doc will be related to Tirpitz, Tromsø was where the admiral had his headquarters and Finnfjorbotn is where that HQ moved to as part of the general withdrawal from Finland and Finnmark\North Troms and the establishment of the Lyngen line (which Tirpitz was supposed to defend as a floating battery). The EKI is without doubt connected to the withdrawal from Petsamo, Kirkenes and East Finnmark. For the KM this was a time of trying to save as much equipment and material as possible whilst under more or less constant attack from the Russians.

Sometimes, if you're lucky, these docs will have a pencilled number in the corner refering to which ship or boat the sailor belonged to.

Here's an example of what i mean from a pair of docs i'm currently waiting to arrive. you'll notice the '154' in the top righthand corner, that's the R-154 from the 7 R-flottille.

[Brian R]

Simon - Thanks so much for this info!!!

An interesting set, indeed. I would imagine EK1s to these small boat guys were relatively uncommon. However, I often wonder if the EK awards were awarded en masse on such occassions. Perhaps after numerous trips up and down the coast during this evacuation, the entire boat was awarded for bravery (and each member received an EK1 if he already held the EK2)

Unfortunately, there is no pencilled number on either doc, so the actually boat (and type) will forever be a mystery.

Thanks again,
Brian

[Simon O.]

Ships crews in general were allocated X amount of EKII and EKI for particualr actions by the ship or flottilla as a whole. So, for example, if the flottilla had been involved in a convoy battle, had done well and perhaps were credited with shooting down a few aircraft then you may see say an allocation of 10% EKII and 1% EKI.

By the way here's an interesting fact. If you look at the award of higher decorations to the KM, the U-boat arm naturally enough comes out on top with the most but second to them are the men of the small ships, ie. minesweepers and below and that's excluding the S-boote which were a seperate arm in themselves. The commander of the R-154 from the doc i posted was a DKiG holder for example.