The order was established on 7 September 1951 by the decree of the then Federal President Theodor Heuss. The President of the Federal Republic holds the Grand Cross Special Class ex officio. Other than the German president, only a foreign head of state can be awarded with this highest class.
It is a great addition to any collection, especially for those interested in German military and industrial history. It is a great piece of history that any collector would be proud to own.
It was reissued in 1957 by the Bundeswehr for veterans. Recipients had to have the lower grade of the award before getting the next level. Knights Crosses, Iron Crosses, Wound Badges, Tank Assault Badges etc were re-designed by Steinhauer & Lück – often with the oak-leaf spray replacing the swastika, with S&L having the sole patent rights to all WW2 1957 German decorations.
Knights Crosses, Iron Crosses, Wound Badges, Tank Assault Badges etc were re-designed by Steinhauer & Lück – often with the oak-leaf spray replacing the swastika, with S&L having the sole patent rights to all WW2 1957 German decorations.
Original German post WW2 version / 1957 pattern Luftwaffe Air Radio Operator and Air Gunner Badge, STEINHAUER UND LUECK (ST&L) MADE LATER EXAMPLE OPEN HINGEBLOCK, TWO PIECE CONSTRUCTION, IN VERY GOOD CONDITION, PERFECT PIN DEVICE, THE AWARD IS NOT OFTEN SEEN. FEW FACTS ABOUT THE 1957 PATTERN AWARDS. In 1957 the West German government authorised replacement Iron Crosses with an Oak Leaf Cluster in place of the swastika, similar to the Iron Crosses of 1813, 1870, and 1914, which could be worn by World War II Iron Cross recipients. The 1957 law also authorised de-Nazified versions of most other World War II-era decorations (except those specifically associated with Nazi Party organizations, such as SS Long Service medals, or with the expansion of the German Reich, such as the medals for the annexation of Austria, the Sudetenland, and the Memel region). The main government contract to manufacture and supply these new de-nazified WW2 1957 official decorations went to the world famous German firm Steinhauer & Lueck, Luedenscheid Germany. Knights Crosses, Iron Crosses, Wound Badges, Tank Assault Badges etc were re-designed by Steinhauer & Lück – often with the oak-leaf spray replacing the swastika, with S&L having the sole patent rights to all WW2 1957 German decorations. S&L did not have the whole monopoly on medal making, other famous firms such as Deschler & Sohn, BH Maher and Juncker also manufactured these new German decorations. Lüdenscheid is situated between the cities Dortmund and Bonn. It was here that one of the youngest medal firms was founded in 1889 by August Steinhauer and Gustav Adolf Lück. The first production began in a cellar, the customer base continued to increase. A property was bought at 51 Hochstrasse which is still home for this famous company today. During WW2 Steinhauer & Lück produced medals and badges, like the famous Knights Cross and many other types of medals and badges. In 1957 this company was awarded the contract to produce all the newly re-designed legal WW2 1957 de-nazified decorations, plus the contract to manufacture all of Germany’s official decorations including Germany’s highest order the Bundesverdienstkreuz. Only a very limited number of original WW2 1957 medals are still produced, mainly Iron Crosses, German Cross Gold & Silver & Wound Badges and are considered 100% genuine by the German Government. HISTORY OF THE AWARDS. Luftwaffe Air Radio Operator & Air Gunner badge was instituted on January 19, 1935 and dedicated at first (before the institution of the gunner badge) to radio and gunner qualified personnel. Personnel had to success the training course and to participate at least at 5 operational flights. The badge was oval shaped and slightly vaulted surrounded by a silvered wreath composed of laurel and oak leaves on the base. The old silver oxidized eagle is fixed to the wreath by two small round rivets. The eagle clutched in its claws two crossed lighting bolts which could, depending the manufacture, be more or less detailed and cut out or not. The employed metal varied all along the war from aluminum and tombak, to a silver-nickel called”Neusilber”, zinc, and pot metal. Though initially a cloth version was not authorized, one was later introduced and was found in both bullion and silver wire embroidery. The badge was presented in a dark blue box of which several variants exist, with velvet, cloth or flocage lid. The letters on the top are always golden. A certificate was presented to all personnel who received the badge which was worn, as with most war badges, on the lower left breast, below the Iron Cross. As implied by the title, the badge was presented to Air Gunners and Radio Operators and mechanics who completed two months training or five missions. The criteria was shortened if the soldier received a wound in action.
GERMAN MEDALS AND DECORATIONS OF WORLD WAR II By Jack Britton Excellent. GERMAN MEDALS AND DECORATIONS OF WORLD WAR II By Jack Britton Excellent Condition. Military Collectors Pr News. Book is in Very Good Condition. Text will be unmarked. May show some signs of use or wear. Will include dust jacket if it originally came with one. Satisfaction is guaranteed with every order. I have changed my mind and would like to cancel/make changes to my order. We believe in providing our customers with an ultra-speedy service. To ensure this is achieved, all of our systems are fully automated so orders are transferred for processing within minutes. How long should I expect customer service will take to respond to my inquires? We aim to respond to all customers within 24-48 hours (Monday – Friday). My Address is wrong. Very sorry to hear that! So please confirm you have selected the correct address before placing your order. What do I do if I haven’t received my order? Rest assured, we have you covered. Here is what to do: While we aim to deliver your order in the time frame specified, transit delays outside of our control can occur. Because of this we would ask that you allow the following amount of time before contacting us about your late order(s): At Least 18 days for Orders delivered within the US and At Least 25 days for Orders delivered outside the US. Basically, in the event of your order being delayed or lost in the post, we will do our best to provide a suitable resolution. What type of payments do you accept? Zuber’s Policies Are As Follows. We carefully grade our items, so you should expect to receive the item in the condition as we have stated it in our listing, please see the’Condition’ section. Please do not expect anything beyond what is stated in our listings. New Items: Guaranteed to be in new condition and in their original packaging. For CDs this generally (but not always) means they will come in their shrink-wrap/plastic. Used Items: Please see our description in each listing for details regarding particular items. The item you receive may not exactly match the photo, but will contain the same content. How quickly will I receive my item. Occasionally, orders are delayed a little longer. Can you tell me more about a particular item? We are unable to provide any additional information or guarantee that you will receive anything in addition to what is described in our listing. Carefully reading the item’s description details should answer most questions that you may have. The images supplied on our listings are intended as a guide only. Meaning that we did not take the picture. With this in mind it isn’t always possible for us to guarantee that you will receive the exact cover shown. You should receive the item described in our listing, but the cover could vary. Will you accept lower amounts/offers for your items? A Return must authorized by first contacting us. Then we will provide you with either a return label or specific instructions for mailing the item back. Do Not refuse the item when you receive it. Do Not mark the item as’Return to Sender’. United States Return requests must be within 30 days of receipt of the item. International Return requests must be within 14 days of receipt of the item. With their original packaging and accessories included with the return. We will then diligently work to find the best solution. What do I do if I have received a faulty product or the wrong item? Our aim is to deliver quality products to all of our customers. New items must be still sealed (if they originally were). We will provide you with a pre-paid return label. To ensure a speedy resolution please enclose the following in your correspondence. Images of the faults/defects and/or ISBN/UPC of the incorrectly received item. Explanation of what you received vs what you expected to receive. What do I do if I receive a damaged item? In the event that your order arrives damaged, please accept our apologies. Please ensure you provide us with your order number and images of the damaged item. Images must depict the damage you are discussing. The images you send must also include images of the packaging the item arrived in. YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL KINDS OF SPECIAL FINDS. We offer a very large selection of competitively priced New & Used items. We look forward to serving you!
