Award List - Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty

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Stauffenberg II
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Award List - Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty

#1

Post by Stauffenberg II » 25 Apr 2003, 18:38

Hi!

Is there an award list of the Vapaudenristin Ritarikunta (Order of the Cross of Liberty) available. I am interested in all German recipients from 1941-1944.

Maybe our finnish forum members (Juha & Co.) know about it!?

I have at least found three until now:

VAdm. Nordmann
Gen. d. W.-SS Demelhuber (thanks to Unkle Karl)
Gen. Lt. Dittmar

Many thanks,
Stauffenberg II
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Last edited by Stauffenberg II on 25 Apr 2003, 18:47, edited 2 times in total.

Emerson Begolly
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#2

Post by Emerson Begolly » 25 Apr 2003, 18:44

I know that SS-Obergruppenführer Karl-Maria Demelhubee was awarded the Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty.

Good Luck,
Em.


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#3

Post by Stauffenberg II » 25 Apr 2003, 18:46

Thanks Unkle, will be included at once.

Regards

What about:

Dietl Eduard, Gen. Obst., AOK Lappland & 20. Geb. Armee
Rendulic Dr. Lothar, Gen. Obst., 20. Geb. Armee
Engelbrecht Erwin, Gen. d. Art., 163. Infanteriedivision
Schlemmer Ernst, Gen. Lt., 2. Gebirgsdivision
Kreysing Hans, Gen. d. Geb. Tr., 3. Gebirgsdivision
Schörner Ferdinand, GFM, 6. Gebirgsdivision
Krakau August, Gen. Lt., 7. Gebirgsdivision
Jodl Ferdinand, Gen. d. Geb. Tr., CoS 20. Geb. Armee
Suire von le Karl, Gen. d. Geb. Tr., CoS Geb. Korps Norwegen

Can anybody offer a pic of Engelbrecht and (Ernst) Schlemmer?
Last edited by Stauffenberg II on 25 Apr 2003, 19:47, edited 1 time in total.

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#4

Post by VJK » 25 Apr 2003, 19:37

Hi Stauffenberg II !

Here's Engelbrecht and Schlemmer.

Best wishes,

VJK
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#5

Post by Stauffenberg II » 25 Apr 2003, 19:46

Thank you VJK.

But this is Hans Schlemmer, not Ernst. Nevertheless good pic and I therefore saved it immediately.

Regards,

The next one with the finnish order (Hans Degen):
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Gille & Kleinheisterkamp

#6

Post by Michael Miller » 25 Apr 2003, 19:54

SS-Ogruf.u.Gen.d.W-SS Herbert Otto Gille and SS-Ogruf.u.Gen.d.W-SS Matthias Kleinheisterkamp were recipients of the award.

Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller / ABR

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#7

Post by VJK » 25 Apr 2003, 19:58

Sorry about that Stauffenberg II, oversight on my part. heres Gille and Kleinheisterkamp wearing the Order.

Regards,

VJK
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#8

Post by Stauffenberg II » 25 Apr 2003, 20:02

Thank you boss and VJK!

I am surprised that Gille has received this award as he always served in the Ucraine. Maybe because there was an Finnish Volunteer Btl. in the Wiking-Division in 1941???

The finnish Order seemed to be the "Hausorden" of the Mountain Troops.

Thanks for Kleinheisterkamp. The next one: Gen. Lt. Christian Philipp (taken from http://www.skalman.nu, courtesy of DP)

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Harri
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#9

Post by Harri » 25 Apr 2003, 20:30

More (possible) names (can someone check these?):

Adolf Hitler (?)

Gen.Obst Nicolaus von Falkenhorst (AOK Norwegen)
Generalmajor Erich Buschenhagen (Chief of Staff AOK Norwegen)
General der Infanterie Karl Weisenberger (XXXVI AK)
General der Kavallerie Hans Feige (XXXVI AK)
General der Gebirgstruppen Georg Ritter von Hengl (XIX Geb.-AK)
General der Gebirgstruppen Franz Böhme (XVIII Geb.-AK)
General der Infanterie Waldemar Erfurth (Deutschen General im finnischen Hauptquartier)
Oberst/Generalmajor Hermann Hölter (Stabschef Dt.G.i.f.H, Geb.-AOK 20)

SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner (SS Wiking)
SS-Standartenführer Fritz von Scholz (SS Regiment Nordland)
Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (?)

Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff (Lfl. 5)
Generalmajor Andreas Nielsen (Stabschef Lfl. 5)
General der Flieger Willi Harmjanz (Komm.Gen.d.Dt.Lw.i.Finnland)
General der Flieger Julius Schulz (Komm.Gen.d.Dt.Lw.i.Finnland)
General der Flieger Josef Kammhuber (Lfl. 5)
Generalmajor Fritz Mensch (Luftgau Finnland)
Generalmajor Wolfgang Freytag (13. Flak-Brig.)
Generalmajor Ernst Buffa (Flak-Brigade XIII)
Hermann Göring (with all possible jewels for sure)
Oberstleutnant F. Siebel (Einsatzstab Fähre Ost (EFO))
Oberstleutnant Kurt Kuhlmey (Geschwaderkommodore SG 3)

Konteradmiral Reimar von Bonin (Marineattache)
Admiral Theodor Burchardi (Kommandierender Admiral Östliche Ostsee)
Konteradmiral Kurt Böhmer (F.d.M. Ost / 9. Sicherungsdivision)

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#10

Post by Stauffenberg II » 25 Apr 2003, 20:59

I can now confirm

Böhme, Franz (1st Class, Oak Leaf, Swords, 13.05.1943)
Hölter Hermann (2nd Class, 26.09.1941)
allegedly Brauchitsch (1942)

Regards

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#11

Post by Stauffenberg II » 25 Apr 2003, 21:00

You are right Harri. Here is Gen. d. Inf. Waldemar Erfurth:
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#12

Post by VJK » 25 Apr 2003, 21:04

Hi Harri!

Here's Steiner and Erfurth wearing the Order.

Regards,

VJK
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#13

Post by Harri » 25 Apr 2003, 21:40

Erfurt was also the only holder of the rare "Gold Medal of Merit of the Cross of Liberty".

Steiner, von Scholz and Gille are all related to Volunteer Finnish SS Battalion. I think there may be many more (including Himmler and perhaps Gottlob Berger?).

Also those who were somehow related or in contact with Finns are possible receivers of these decorations, including generals in high Staffs (Gen.Obst Franz Halder, LW Generalleutnant Hans-Georg von Seidel, Feldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel for example).

About 1.350 2nd Class Crosses (for Captains and higher) and about 380 1st Class Crosses (for Lt.Cols and higher) were awarded so lots of Germans received one of these. But 1st Class with Chest Star (for Lt.Gens and higher) is very rare: only 12 awarded and Grand Cross (for the heads of states) is a top rare item: 2 awarded!

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#14

Post by Harri » 25 Apr 2003, 21:52

Can someone say when this man was in his job bacause I have never heard of him:
Suire von le Karl, Gen. d. Geb. Tr., CoS Geb. Korps Norwegen

This one is also quite unknown to me. Can someone tell details on him?
VAdm. Nordmann

---

And this about Himmler (like I thought):
Grosskreuz Finnische Orden des Freiheitskreuz mit Schwertern (1942),
so it looks like he is another of the lucky two? But Himmler wasn't a head of Germany? Well, strange...

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#15

Post by Stauffenberg II » 25 Apr 2003, 22:19

Nordmann (Source: Mehner, Vol. 1):
Marinebefehlshaber Norwegische Polarküste (18.09.1942-31.01.1943),
Admiral Norwegische Polarküste (18.09.1942-09.01.1945)

von le Suire, Karl (Source: Mehner, Vol. 1):
Chief of Staff Gebirgskorps Norwegen (01.07.1940-15.07.1942)

BR,
Stauffenberg II

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