Germany, Luftwaffe. A Fine Grouping of Award Documents to Oskar Kaipf including the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords

(Verleihungsurkunde für ein Spanien-Kreuz in Gold mit Schwertern zu Oskar Kaipf). This is a superb grouping of award documents and pictures attributed to Oskar Kaipf.

The highlight of this document grouping is a studio photograph of Oskar Kaipf in his Luftwaffe Unteroffizier-equivalent uniform, wearing numerous awards and decorations, mainly a Luftwaffe Marksmanship Lanyard, a German Cross in Gold with Swords, a Pilot/Observer badge, a Military Merit Cross, a wound badge in black, and a medal ribbon bar with a ribbon for a Medal for the Campaign of 1936-1939 and a Luftwaffe Long Service Award with miniature eagle. In the photograph he is wearing a Luftwaffe belt buckle, a first-model Luftwaffe dagger, as well as a “Legion Condor” ring. The photograph is in a postcard format, measuring 142 mm (w) x 97 mm (l).

The collection is accompanied by:

1. An award document to Wachtmeister Oskar Kaipf for a Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (Spanien-Kreuz in Gold mit Schwertern), awarded on June 6th, 1939 with a facsimile of Adolf Hitler at the bottom, and a watermark on the bottom left side, depicting a national eagle with outstretched wings clutching a wreathed mobile swastika, all within a round oak wreath, measuring 253 mm (w) x 354 mm (l).

2. A temporary/preliminary award document to Oskar Kaipf for a Spanish Cross in Gold (without swords), awarded on May 31st, 1939 and valid until September 15th, 1939, with an extension date written in pencil directly above, measuring 209 mm (w) x 150 mm (l). 

3. An award document to Oberwachtmeister Oskar Kaipf for an Iron Cross 1939 Second Class (Eiserne Kreuz 2. Klasse), awarded on February 14th, 1943 in the field, and signed by Generalleutnant Seifert (June 14th 1889 - November 11th, 1978; recipient of the German Cross in Gold), measuring 39 mm (w) x 200 mm (l). 

4. A large award document in colour to Oskar Kaipf for a Medal for the Campaign of 1936-1939 (Medalla de la Campaña), awarded on May 4th, 1939, with a facsimile of the Spanish Minister of Defence, Fidel Dávila,  measuring 293 mm (w) x 390 mm (l). 

5. A large award document in colour to Oskar Kaipf for a Spanish War Cross (Cruz de Guerra), awarded on May 4th, 1939, with a facsimile of the Spanish Minister of Defence, Fidel Dávila,  measuring 293 mm (w) x 390 mm (l).

6. A supplementary letter to Mrs. Karolina Kaipf (Oskar’s mother), dated September 10, 1940, listing the awards that he has received, being the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords, the Spanish War Cross, as well as the Medal for the Campaign  1936-1939, measuring 21 cm (w) x 297 mm (l).

7. The grouping is accompanied by a total of ten photographs of Oskar Kaipf’s service, depicting a wrecked plane, a glider, and Kaipf with colleagues posing beside and inside airplanes, as well as a newspaper clipping glued to cardstock, measuring from 144 mm (w) x 94 mm (l) to 64 mm (w) x 44 mm (l).

An excellent grouping to a decorated early Luftwaffe member, with most documents in extremely fine condition, but with others with rips, tears, and small pieces missing, in overall better than very fine condition.