Citation from Jersey, Channel Islands.

[JERSEY 34]

I had just finished my evening meal last night when I thought I heard a car outside my house. I went to look and saw a friend opening up the boot of his car. He is a lovely chap, a bit of a hoarder himself. He has a number of German bits and pieces some of which I would dearly love. He very very rarely parts with anything but in the past has been very generous. But he does love to tease and wind me up by showing me what he's found. Anyway I went outside and he says he just bought around a few things to show me.... here we go I thought to myself. Anyway he had a dusty old crate with a couple of files in it and a pile of books. In the file there were a few sheets on non descript German paperwork,, but of interest a small handfull of blank German military driving licenses. He had a few of each so I took the bait... as always and asked if he would part with an example of each. Not today was his reply. So we then moved onto the pile of books. They were the standard sort of technical manual for a number of subject. They were a little damp and musty and quite dirty. As he was flipping through the pages he pulled out a citation..... he had not seen it before I am sure. I immediately knew what he had in his hands and I knew I wanted it. Again drawn by the bait I took the hook line and sinker. Would he part with it, the reply..... its yours, one day!!!!
I told him all about it as far as it goes and then reluctantly handed it back. Just as he was closing the boot of the car I asked if I could have a copy of the citation as they don't turn up to often over here althought I do have a small collection of them. He was happy for me to make a copy, so whilst in doors I was frantically trying to think of anything I may have he may want. I suddenly remembered something I did have that had been sitting around here for ages and I knew he had the other half of in his shed. I took it outside to him and asked if what I had was any use to him. Very surprisingly he was more than happy to do an exchange. I just could not believe my luck. He is not a collector as such but does have an interest in a lot of things. In the past he has let me have small obscure pieces which would be impossible to find elsewhere of which he always seems to have a small bundle. An example of that would be the small oiling brush that goes on the lafette for a MG.34, he has about a dozen, all in mint unused condition that he found "somewhere". I would just love to find his "somewhere"
So, to the citation: as you can see its for a War Merit Cross 2nd class with swords. Awarded to Alois Scherz on the 20th of April 1944.... Hitlers birthday, so most likely as part of the celebrations for time served more than heroism in battle. The signature is that of Rudolf Graf von Schmettow who was the Island Kommandant. All in all a really lovely item and one I truly did not expect to get. I hope you like it, its nothing too exciting as far as the award it represents goes but for the shear fact its off the Island makes it priceless to me.
All the best from Jersey.
D.

[Adrian]

Hi Damian, thank you for posting. A Channel Island citation is a scare thing indeed.

I would suggest that the individual was actually awarded the KVK for war work of a combat nature as opposed to just a 'Hitler's Birthday Reward'. He would have gotten a long service medal if it was for time served.

It may not have been earned on the Islands but happened to be presented there for some previous act of merit although it's also not beyond the realms of possibility that he did earn it on Jersey.

[JERSEY 34]

Hi,
Yes, your more than likely correct when you say for war work of a combat nature, but they did tend to award the medals here on Hitler's birthday.... for whatever reason. And its almost certain it was work here on the Island as by April 44 a lot of the soldiers here had been on the Island some time and he also as I have just found out from my records was here right up until the surrender on the 9th of May 45. He ended up as POW B173268.
I will keep looking for further info on him but there's not too much in the way of records on the men themselves.
All the best,
D.

[harryamb2]

perhaps he goes down the vent.shaft of the unopened tunnels,seen a lot of items from there over the years.