Uncommon GJ Kreta doc type

[Simon O.]

Here's the latest addition.


An award doc for the Kreta cufftitle to a member of GJR 141 of the 6 Geb.Div.
Now, i wonder if anyone has seen this style of doc before? I admit i hadn't so was just a wee bit nervous until i got it in my hands.
As most of you know we generally think of the 5 Geb.Div. when we think of gebirgsjäger on Crete, however a kampfgruppe based on GJR 141 was also sent, subordinated to Ringel's division. This formation, Kampfgruppe Jais (after it's commander Oberst Jais who got the RK on Crete) was made up of I.\GJR 141, II.\GJR 143 and III.\GJR 141 along with supporting artillery. I.\141 suffered particularly high casualties whilst fighting in the Chania\Suda bay area on the 26th\27th May, losing some 126 men KIA and 46 WIA.

It's ironic to note that these men, who fought on the Southernmost battlefield of the German army were actually awarded their cufftitles whilst stationed on the Northernmost, that of the Murmansk front.

In this photo from biblio verlag's 'Die ritterkreuzträger' series taken in August 1944 we see 3 officers of GJR 141 wearing their Kreta cufftitles alongside Finnish officers.



The officer numbered '1' is the later RKT Major Helmuth Breuker, at the time commander of I.\GJR141.

[Hank C.]

Verrrrry nice document! Any background on it? Other than the unit itself?

[Simon O.]

Not much on this one itself Hank, i picked it up from Huesken (he seems to have bought a large docs collection recently). It's been stuck to something in the past and there's tape across the fold line on the back. I've cross checked the award dates with other members of this regiment and it seems 1st of june '43 was award day for them. The one thing i can't track down at the moment is who the regimental commander was at the time. 1943 is like a black hole in the accounts concerning the 6 GD, perhaps because the year was spent in static warfare with only artillery duels and patrols.

[GJR100]

Hi Simon,

Very nice hand written document ! I haven't seen a Kreta document in this style. Is there any small printing on the bottom edge ? Some times these document were printed at the company/regimental Kartenstelle.

MfG,
Bart

[Simon O.]

Hi Bart

No there's no small printing along the edge. What i still don't know, is who signed it. I know the majority of regimental, batallion and even som kompanie commanders of the 6 GD but 1943 is a like a black hole information wise. I have the regimental commanders up to April\May 1942 and then from the summer of 1944 but very little indeed is written about 1943.

It makes sense that these docs were different to the 'normal' Kreta docs. Being all the way up in the far North it seems logical that they had their own versions printed. I've also seen an example of an IAB doc awarded to a member of the same kompanie about 5 weeks prior to this doc and it used the same stamp, green ink and signed by the same officer.