Schalburg Cross
Encyclopedia
The Schalburg Cross was a decoration awarded to officer
s, NCO
s and enlisted
men in the Danish
Schalburg Corps
during World War II
.
, commander of the Frikorps Danmark
who was killed in combat operations in the Demyansk Pocket
in 1942. The cross was manufactured by the Danish firm Heimbürger in Copenhagen
.
The cross was awarded to Schalburg Corps
members for recognition of service against the Danish resistance movement
and for those serving or killed in action in the Eastern Front
. It has been recorded once that a cross was awarded to a Schalburg Corps member killed in action probably from the resistance.
The Schalburg Cross was supposed to be worn on the left breast pocket of their uniform. According to military historians lots of the unissued crosses were found by the resistance in the Schalburg corps HQ during the liberation in May 1945 and kept as souvenirs - stories go around that they were thrown from the resistance movements lorries to the crowds in the streets of Copenhagen in May 1945 after the liberation.
Enlisted men wore a cross painted in off-white color with golden outer edges. The cross has a medallion in the center, which is soldered to the cross. The medallion has the golden inscription Our Honour is Loyalty (Danish: Troskab Vor Ære) and golden oak leaves below. In the inner ring is a white mobile swastika with an opaque red paint in the background.
The officers cross has the same colors but was made of enameled with the cross being white. The red paint in the medallion was substituted by opaque red enameled and the oak leaves are gilded.
The reverse on both crosses is flat with a semi scoop shape in the center and a single long golden pin attached on the top of the cross. On the enamelled badges about 5 to 6 decorations are known in Denmark.
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s, NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s and enlisted
Enlisted rank
An enlisted rank is, in most Militaries, any rank below a commissioned officer or warrant officer. The term can also be inclusive of non-commissioned officers...
men in the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Schalburg Corps
Schalburg Corps
The Schalburg Corps was a Danish volunteer army corps and a branch of the Germanic-SS. Named after Christian Frederik von Schalburg, commander of the Free Corps Denmark who was killed in combat operations in the Demyansk Pocket in 1942...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
The date the Schalburg Cross was instituted is unknown. It could be later than 1943, otherwise picture(s) of them being worn would have surfaced. It was named after Christian Frederik von SchalburgChristian Frederik von Schalburg
Christian Frederik von Schalburg was a Danish army officer and the second commander of Free Corps Denmark.-Biography:...
, commander of the Frikorps Danmark
Frikorps Danmark
Free Corps Denmark was a Danish volunteer free corps created by the Danish Nazi Party in cooperation with Germany, to fight the Soviet Union during the Second World War. On June 29, 1941, days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the DNSAP's newspaper Fædrelandet proclaimed the creation...
who was killed in combat operations in the Demyansk Pocket
Demyansk Pocket
The Demyansk Pocket was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Demyansk , south of Leningrad, during World War II on the Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February-21 April 1942. A much smaller pocket was simultaneously surrounded in Kholm, about ...
in 1942. The cross was manufactured by the Danish firm Heimbürger in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
The cross was awarded to Schalburg Corps
Schalburg Corps
The Schalburg Corps was a Danish volunteer army corps and a branch of the Germanic-SS. Named after Christian Frederik von Schalburg, commander of the Free Corps Denmark who was killed in combat operations in the Demyansk Pocket in 1942...
members for recognition of service against the Danish resistance movement
Danish resistance movement
The Danish resistance movement was an underground insurgency movement to resist the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. Due to the unusually lenient terms given to Danish people by the Nazi occupation authority, the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale...
and for those serving or killed in action in the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. It has been recorded once that a cross was awarded to a Schalburg Corps member killed in action probably from the resistance.
The Schalburg Cross was supposed to be worn on the left breast pocket of their uniform. According to military historians lots of the unissued crosses were found by the resistance in the Schalburg corps HQ during the liberation in May 1945 and kept as souvenirs - stories go around that they were thrown from the resistance movements lorries to the crowds in the streets of Copenhagen in May 1945 after the liberation.
Classes
There were two classes issued one for officers and NCOs and the other for enlisted. Both crosses were die struck and measure 50mm x 50mm.Enlisted men wore a cross painted in off-white color with golden outer edges. The cross has a medallion in the center, which is soldered to the cross. The medallion has the golden inscription Our Honour is Loyalty (Danish: Troskab Vor Ære) and golden oak leaves below. In the inner ring is a white mobile swastika with an opaque red paint in the background.
The officers cross has the same colors but was made of enameled with the cross being white. The red paint in the medallion was substituted by opaque red enameled and the oak leaves are gilded.
The reverse on both crosses is flat with a semi scoop shape in the center and a single long golden pin attached on the top of the cross. On the enamelled badges about 5 to 6 decorations are known in Denmark.