In WW2 it was common practise to hand out a certain medal to the entire crew, this was done to enhance the teamspirit amongst the crews. The most common medals for ordinary crews were the U-boat badge, Iron Cross second and first class. Other higher decorations depended on the personal level, some medals like the Knight's Cross were virtually out of reach for ranks lower than officer although there were a few handed out to petty officers for bravery. One must also remember that the medals were given in a certain order (U-Boat bagde, IC2de, IC1st, U-boat clasp, German Cross in silver or gold, Knights Cross,...You get the idea) and this made it hard for lower ranks to obtain higher decorations.
|