Germany, Heer. Three Award Documents To Infantry Obergefreiter Heinrich Grünhagen (Ek2)

The three award documents are: an Iron Cross 2nd Class award document (140x200mm, near very fine); a Wound Badge in Silver award document (140x199mm, near very fine); a Wound Badge in Black award document (142x200mm, near very fine).

The Iron Cross 2nd Class award document is named to Obergefreiter (Corporal) Heinrich Grünhagen of the 12th (Machine Gun) Company of Grenadier Regiment 695. It is dated to Hamburg on February 6, 1945 and signed in blue ink by the Deputy Commanding General of the 10th Army Corps and Commander-in-Chief of Army District 10, General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wetzel (1888–1964), a recipient of the Knight’s Cross.

The Wound Badge in Silver award document is named to Obergefreiter Grünhagen of the 8th Company of Grenadier Regiment 695 for being wounded once on July 31, 1942. It is dated to the Army Discharge Office in Bremen on July 25, 1944 and signed in blue ink by a Major, the name could be Vogeler.

The Wound Badge in Black award document is named to Gefreiter Grünhagen of the 12th Company of Infantry Regiment 695 for being wounded once on July 31, 1942. It is dated to Krakau on November 28, 1942 and signed in pencil by an Oberstabsarzt and Chief Medical Officer, the name is illegible.

Footnote:

Infantry Regiment 695, later renamed to Grenadier Regiment 695, was part of the 340th Infantry Division, established in November of 1940. It was first stationed in northern France between May 1941 and January 1942, and then deployed to the southern part of the Eastern Front in May of 1942. It fought in the vicinity of Kiev, Voronezh, and Kursk. Starting in September of 1943, the division began their retreat through the Ukraine. In the following defensive battles it suffered heavy losses. In April and July of 1944, respectively, the division was encircled twice, but was able to escape the pocket. By August of 1944, it had lost so many troops that it was disbanded. A month later, Grenadier Regiment 695 was re-established and stationed in western Germany. It took part in the Battle of the Bulge and the Siege of Bastogne, and was eventually destroyed by US forces in March of 1945.