[OT] WWII German medal

Angiolillo · 16 February 2004, 07:36 AM

Hello!

Sorry if I am OT, but maybe the solution is common both to WWI and to WWII researchers so the answer could be useful to other people too.

I am researching the war life of Vito Rinaldi, the father of a friend of mine. He received an Italian silver medal for his deeds in North Africa, in december 1940, flying in his Fiat biplane fighter. The 21st of december, 1942, he got a "verdienstmedaile mit swertern" from Germany. I got the motivation of the Italian medal at the IAF Ministery, where a copy of the official Regia Aeronautica bullettin is kept. Do you please know if there is any such archive for German medals?

Thanks again,

Andrea

Angiolillo · 16 February 2004, 07:38 AM

Sorry: I meant the 21st of october, 1942.

Immo_Frese · 16 February 2004, 02:15 PM

Angiolillo,

you probably talking about the "Kriegsverdienstkreuz mit Schwertern". It was an often awarded german war decoration. It was awarded ca. 3.000.000 times during WW2

If there ever had been papers about the award of this order, I'm afraid that they were destroyed in the bombings of WW 2.

Immo

Angiolillo · 17 February 2004, 02:00 AM

Thanks a lot for your quick reply!

Here http://www.medals.lava.pl/de/de3.htm I found the Verdienstmedaille mit Schwertern as a decoration meant only for foreigners, and that fits. It should belong to the Verdienstorden vom Deutschen Adler, or Meritorious Order of the German Eagle. Does this give more light?

Thanks for all anyway!

Andrea