Numbers on citations

[Angel Farré]

I always wonder what means the numbers sometime found in citations on left down corners, I think were the order number of the awards and the year, but are they from the Division, or for the regiment and are restricted to Iron Crosses or to other awards also?

I have two Wehrpass from 1 Panzer Division, first to a member of the Panzer Regiment 1 awarded the EK II on June 1st, 1.940 numbered 433/40 and the Panzerkampfabzeichen in silver on July 1st, 1.940 numbered 854/40.

Second to a member of Panzer Regiment 2 awarded the EK II on June 20th, 1.940 numbered 544/40 and the Panzerkampfabzeichen in silver, undated and unnumbered.

Your opinion or knowledge is welcomed, what are this and which period of time were used.

Thanks

Angel

[Angel Farré]

Images

[Angel Farré]

A citation with the number in the left down corner

Angel

[Angel Farré]

Another one for the same division, beginning of Russian campaign but no / just a number

Angel

[Brian R]

Hi Angel. My understanding is that they are the running total for that particular unit. The numbers seem to make sense on these documents... 915 EK2 in early June 1940 for 1. PD seems about right. By this time (date) various EK awards were being processed for Fall Gelb and the first two days of Fall Rot - remember, that June 6th date is not likely the day that EK award was processed (it was later).

Also, 1,042 EK2s in 1941 by late August seems accurate. That's two months of heavy action for the division as it pushed east.

These running numbers would coincide with the Verleihungslisten ultimately forwarded to OKH.

[Angel Farré]

So you think is for the whole 1 Panzer Division not individua units and for each year, no?

Thanks

Angel

[Brian R]

Another interesting place where you will see these numbers is Wound Badge documents. The numbers give a sense as to losses - I had one group where the document was numbered 183/45 for a particular hospital (in that case, the awarding authority). It was dated January 10, 1945 in the West, a testament to the Allied push east after the German failure at the "Bulge"

[Angel Farré]

Have you seen any of this numbers post 1.941? In EK citations I mean.

Thanks for your info, now I will check my Wounds badges citations to see if any has this numbers.

Angel

[Brian R]

So you think is for the whole 1 Panzer Division not individua units and for each year, no?

Thanks

Angel

Yes, it's the running number per year for that particular awarding authority - in this case, division HQ.

[Brian R]

Have you seen any of this numbers post 1.941? In EK citations I mean.

Angel

I have a Wehrkreis EK2 awarded as 237/43 on February 9, 1943. The schwerverwundete awards came from these WK authorities, so this number fits well. It shows the severe losses - grave wounds - the German army was suffering by the middle of the war, especially with the summer offensive of 1942, as well as the massive offensives near Stalingrad in the South and Rzhev in the Center during the winter of 1942/43.

[Brian R]

Here is one showing 253 EK2 as of September 27, 1939 for Fliegerführer z.b.V. - what was to become VIII. Fliegerkorps. This makes sense given that it is the end of the Polish Campaign and this unit specialized in air-to-ground actions. Another document, dated October 25, 1939 shows 574. In October the unit and its various subordinate units "regrouped" after actions in Poland and processed another 300+ EK2s.

[Lionel H.]

Hi Angel.... Already seen this "Meng"... The Story of his Trip : Germany - France - Republica Dominicana - Spain - Mauritania.... could be a Subject of a Thread too
Here is mine, Number very closed to yours, also for a Future Holder of the German Cross in Gold.

Kind regards. Lionel.

[Angel Farré]

Lionel, Men only made the short trip, Germany-France-Spain-Mauritania, it is my next 1 Panzer Division which made the long trip. A small explanation to all, Lionel sold me this piece and sent it to me, but he also sent to me one week later another 1 Panzer Division group, but thanks to a post mistake it ended in the real Dominican Republic (I live in an street called Dominican Republic in Spain) so we both think lost for ever, but no, it was sent back to him so now in the next parcel he will sent it to me, yes to my brother's address to avoid any trouble.

Second, why are you keeping such piece, sell it to me with the whole group

Thanks Lionel, for all

Angel

[Lionel H.]

Yes my Friend, one of my craziest Experience with the Postal Office.... Parcel full of valuable Paper Items, stayed for Weeks in the Republicana Dominicana before being sent back.
The easiest Way for the next time is to change your Street's Name. For an Example : "Avenida General Kirchner" or "Calle de la cruz alemana en Oro".

[Angel Farré]

I try hard, but they propose the name of Polinesia and I refuse, at least Dominican Republic is just half an island, Polinesia are thousands.

Cheers and thanks for all my fiend

Angel