SKORZENY'S GERMAN CROSS

SKORZENY'S GERMAN CROSS

When sold in 2008, an alleged Skorzeny grouping included an engraved German Cross in Gold. Of course, it cannot have been the same “engraved” German Cross in Gold involved in a part-exchange deal between Otto Skorzeny and  American collector William McClure as pictured above. 

 

That German Cross ds shown with five letters from Skorzeny to McClure on the former’s Madrid letterhead and dating from January to July 1973, three years after Skorzeny’s daughter is said to have sold the grouping containing the tunic and cap, together with another engraved German Cross in Gold.

On January 25 1973, Skorzeny tells Mr McClure: “...a new original German Cross in Gold is very very rare to find and it costs in Germany between DM 2.800 and DM 3.500...this is really too much money for you...” On February 12 1973, Skorzeny writes: “I received the German cross, exactly the same, in Hitler’s headquarters in double, i.e. two pieces. I kept one, and this is the one which is completely new, and the other one I have been wearing during the war...this German cross in gold was awarded to me for my Budapest action and with the date 16th October 1944. But I certainly will not mention, that I sold it to you...”  Otto certainly earned the German Cross in Gold for Operation Panzerfaust, as this write-up from his personnel file shows.

Otto reassures McClure on April 26 1973: “...this medal is my second authentic exemplar...which I send you in exchange for other war documents I received from you...” McClure questions the date stamped into the reverse of the German Cross and Otto comes back on May 17 1973 with: “I am really astonished to hear from you that the inscription of the year on the medal is wrong. I received this medal with the inscription about two months after having received the first medal, and I put this medal away immediately, and it was kept for me by an old aunt in Austria till I fetched it, about 10 years ago...somebody in the Headquarters made a mistake...”

McClure is wavering so Otto reassures him on July 7 1973: “Concerning the experts for medals there are certainly some who understand a lot and other who understand much less. I am certain the qualities of German medals during World War II have changed. I caught my German Cross in gold only end of October 1944 and the second duplicate perhaps December 1944. I can only assure you that the medal I sent you is an original one...”. But wait a minute! On February 12 1973, Otto told McClure that he got this German Cross at the same time as the one awarded to him by Hitler in October 1944.

  

If there was indeed a mistake in the Führerhauptquartier, it was not that the motor pool mechanic entrusted with stamping the reverse of the German Cross in Gold with Skorzeny’s name and the date of the award got the date wrong. It was that they slipped up in providing evidence that the Nazis were capable of time travel. 

 

The Führer  had managed to give Skorzeny a decoration consisting of a 1957 pattern German Cross in Gold made by Steinhauer & Lück, who were not authorized to produce this award during the Second World War, fitted with a nice-looking swastika. 

 
How many gullible collectors did Otto turn over after the war? We shall probably never know but the tradition continues, with the German dealer André Huesken offering this ensemble for around $120,000 at the time of the 2008 Mohawk Arms sale of the Skorzeny grouping. However, Skorzeny's Pilot-Observer Badge with Diamonds will be the subject of a future article.

Wilbur C Stump