As the second female German Red Cross nurse (after pilot Hanna Reitsch) Elfriede Wnuk was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class on September 19, 1942. Furthermore she was awarded with the Eastern Front Medal and the Wounded Badge in Silver. As a nurse Elfriede Wnuk served on the front from September 1, 1939. She partook in the advance in the Central Sector of the Eastern Front and experienced the winter- and summer battles of defence near Orel/Russia, doing her duty in Kriegslazarett 509 (military field hospital 509). By doing so she suffered a severe injury. After her two more Red Cross nurses deployed on the Eastern Front were awarded the Iron Cross.

German Red Cross nurse Elfriede Wnuk

&quot;The commander of a Silesian Infantry Division awarded the 12-year-old Jungvolk (subdivision of the Hitler Youth for boys aged 10 to 14 - FTG) platoon leader Alfred Zech from Goldenau (Upper Silesia) the Iron Cross 2nd Class. Together with his disabled father the brave boy noticed a wounded Grenadier drudgingly trying to make his way back. Then the 12-year-old yoked his two horses to his sled, loaded up another hand sled and -while leaving the team in cover- salvaged with his hand sled 12 wounded German soldiers out of heavy enemy fire. Furthermore Alfred Zech was presented a watch for initiating the arrest of a spy. The excited boy noticed that an Obergefreiter (Senior Lance-Corporal), taking pictures of the boy's hometown, was wrongly wearing his chevron of rank on the right sleeve. The boy pursuited the suspect long enough to allow police officers to arrest and convict the spy.&quot; Genuine photo caption by war correspondent Koch, March 1945.

Decorated Jungvolk platoon leader

An armoured train of German 2. Panzerarmee near Pripyat River/Ukraine, 1944.