Women awarded the Iron Cross

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 27 Jul 2003 15:07

Does anyone have a complete list of the women who were awarded the Iron Cross, 1st or 2nd Class?

Thanks.

/Marcus

Champymiddle · Post by **Champymiddle** » 27 Jul 2003 15:17

Do you want anything specific? e.g. in luftwaffe or in heer or kriegsmarine or SS or Auxiliary units?

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 27 Jul 2003 15:18

Champymiddle wrote:Do you want anything specific? e.g. in luftwaffe or in heer or kriegsmarine or SS or Auxiliary units?

All women, regardless of unit. John R. Angolia gives their number as 39.

/Marcus

Champymiddle · Post by **Champymiddle** » 27 Jul 2003 15:25

http://www.angelfire.com/nj/ww2/au2and1ic.html ]

I think this might be useful

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 27 Jul 2003 15:28

Thanks, but I have those names already.

/Marcus

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 27 Jul 2003 15:29

The names I have so far:

Magda Darchinger (Red Cross)
Grete Fock (Red Cross)
Else Grossmann (Red Cross)
Anne Gunhild Moxanes (Norwegian nurse)
Geolinde Münch (Red Cross)
Hanna Reitsh (test pilot)
Ilse Schulz (Red Cross)
Hanny Weber (Red Cross)

/Marcus

Champymiddle · Post by **Champymiddle** » 27 Jul 2003 15:30

Can you sort those names out so i know which ones recieved the 1 st and which ones recieved the 2nd class?

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 27 Jul 2003 15:33

I believe only Hanna Reitsh recieved the Iron Cross 1st Class of the above, only two women recieved that award as far as I know.

/Marcus

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 27 Jul 2003 15:36

Here is a photo of the nurse Ilse Schulz wearing the EK2 and the Afrika Korps cuff title, flanked by two holders of the Knight's Cross:

/Marcus

Champymiddle · Post by **Champymiddle** » 27 Jul 2003 15:38

Else grossman also recieved 1 st class.

Elfriede Wnuk
Use Daub
Jewish Melitta Countess Shenk von Stauffenburg

All three recieved 2nd class.
http://www.stengerhistorica.com/History ... iteria.htm

Champymiddle · Post by **Champymiddle** » 27 Jul 2003 15:40

Is the knights cross only worn around the neck?

K.Kocjancic · Post by **K.Kocjancic** » 27 Jul 2003 15:40

Champymiddle wrote:Is the knights cross only worn around the neck?

Yes.

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 27 Jul 2003 15:41

Two quotes from the above link.
http://www.stengerhistorica.com/History ... iteria.htm

The names of 32 women are
documented. The Iron Cross was awarded to 2 female foreigners, one Wallonian,
and one Norwegian. The first award made in 1940 was to Hanna Reitsch, followed
by 7 additional awards that were made in 1942. Four of 7 women were decorated
posthumously in 1944, and no less than 17 were decorated for valor during the
first months in 1945. One recipient was the wife of a past Knight's Cross recipient.

Nearing the end of World War
II between 1944-1945, when every German citizen from each of the various social
classes was expected to fight, women too were called to arms. Between 1939-1945,
the Iron Cross Second Class was officially bestowed onto approximately 40 women[9];
during the first 5 years of war the majority were awarded to Red Cross nurses
at the front. The most well-known recipients were the German Red Cross Nurses
(GRCN) Elfriede Wnuk and Use Daub, as well as the pilots Hanna Reitsch and the
Jewish Melitta Countess Schenk von Stauffenberg. Hanna Reitsch and the GRCN
Else Grossmann were both awarded the Iron Cross First Class.

/Marcus

Champymiddle · Post by **Champymiddle** » 27 Jul 2003 15:43

I hope that website is useful, it also gives some interesting info on the iron cross

Champymiddle · Post by **Champymiddle** » 27 Jul 2003 15:48

It is quite hard to find such recipients