Impressive Crete photo and award grouping of Fallschirmjäger W. Drum

Impressive grouping of a Fallschirmjäger W. Drum. The grouping consists of a large portrait, photo album, Fallschirmschützenabzeichen, a Erdkampfabzeichen and Eisernez Kreuz II klasse. Drum most probably served with Fallschirm-Sanitäts-Abteilung 7 as the photographed graves in his album are all to this unit. It is very typical to photograph the graves of fallen comrades in the same unit in the album.

The Fallschirmschützenabzeichen is a early tombak example by C.E. Juncker which is also named in the back. No repairs or damages.

The Erdkampfabzeichen is a Juncker example and is published in the book ‘Das Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe’ by Sascha Weber on page 66 and 67. The catch is repaired and the front eagle is missing.

There is a large framed portrait of W. Drum which clearly shows the blue collar tabs in combination of the Fallschirm-Division cufftitle. The portrait is sized 33×39 cm.

The album begins in Prague on May 1-2, 1940, and documents the paratrooper unit’s trip to Crete via Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. In the further course photos of Greece, before the fighting began. Drum wrote in the album “Der 21. Mai 1941 – Unser Start” (May 21, 1941 – Our start). Beautiful photos of the operation in Crete. The last pages of the album show his stay in the Lazarett IXa in Vienna. Comes with hand-written notes by the paratrooper.

Total: around 120 photos and one postwar postcard of Crete.

The grouping was sourced through the family a few years ago. It is a very nice grouping which would be very hard to upgrade!