Paratrooper Document Grouping to Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) Hermann Raacke-He served with the Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War fought from 1936 to 1939. This grouping consists of:
1) Document issued on 31 March 1941 by Luftwaffenpersonalamt (Air Force Personnel Office) under the authority of the Reichminister der Luftfahrt (Minister of Aviation) and Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe (Commander in Chief of the Air Force), Hermann Goring, authorizing the following awards to Wachtmeister (Technical Sergeant) Hermann Raacke:
German Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords; Spanish awards: Cruz roj del Merito Militar; and the Medalla de la Campana. Four additional Spanish awards were crossed out on the document.
2) Award document for Die Medalle Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (Medal for the Winter Battle in the East 1941/42), also known as the Ostmedaille (East [Campaign] Medal) issued on 5 August 1942. At this time, Raacke held the rank of Hauptwachtmeister (First Sergeant) and was serving with the Flakkolonne (Anti-Aircraft Column) of Gemischte Flakabteilung I./36 (mot) (Mixed Anti-Aircraft Battalion I./36 [motorized]). The document is signed by Oberst (Colonel) Dr. Hermann Stolte, who, at that time, commanded Flak-Regiment 10 (Anti-Aircraft Regiment 10), and was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 7 November 1942.
3) Very late-war issued award document for the Fallschirmschützenabzeichen (Paratrooper Badge) issued at the headquarters of the Fallschirm-Armee-Oberkommando (Paratrooper Army High Command) on 6 December 1944 and signed by Generalleutnant (Three-Star General) Walter Lackner, the Stellvertretender Chef (Deputy Chief of the Fallschirm-Armee-Oberkommando). The document is the second rarest version of the Paratrooper Badge document. Raacke was most likely one of the very last paratroopers who received jump training at the Salzwedel Airbase in October 1944.
4) Award document issued on 13 April 1945 for the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (Wound Badge in Black) for having been wounded on 4 April 1945 while engaging British forces in Holland. The document reveals that Raacke was assigned to the 1./Fallschirm-Flak-Abteilung 6 (mot.) (1st Company of Paratrooper Anti Aircraft Battalion 6 [motorized]) of the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division (6th Paratrooper Division). The document is signed by an Oberleutant of Raacke's company.
5) Award document for the Eiserne Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1s Class) issued to Raacke on 9 April 1945. The document shows that Raacke was still a member of the 1./Fallschirm-Flak-Abteilung 6 (mot.). The document is signed by Generalletnant (Three-Star General) Hermann Plocher, the divisional commander of the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division (6th Paratrooper Division), who was awarded the Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves, German Cross in Gold, and the Spanish Cross in Gold. When this document was issued, the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division was engaging British forces in "Festung Holland" ("Fortress Holland"), where Plocher surrendered on 8 May 1945 at the time of the German capitulation.