SMGL-2585 Helmuth Valtiner Signature

Done in blue marker on the colorized version of his painted portrait VDA post card. It was sent to A “capt. David L. Sims” in Honululu in 1986 making this one of the last signatures before his death in 1987. He died in Italy and the stamps are Italian on the envelope. If you can’t see in the scans, the envelope has two hole punches in it. A harder knight’s cross signature to find even though he lived a long time.

The following wartime excerpt describes why Valtiner received the Knight’s Cross…

“18.04.1941: The I. Bataillon / Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 143 was ordered to force a crossing over the river Pinios and capture the position Evangelismos. The Bataillon ordered its 1. Kompanie to lead the way, intending for it to have established a bridgehead on the south bank of the river by 14:00. But by the ordered time a large portion of the Kompanie had not even reached the river, only Valtiner and 6 men. After a brief examination of the situation, he swam over the river in full combat gear with his comrades. In doing so he was able to determine the most favourable crossing point over the river, and despite strong enemy artillery, mortar and MG fire he was able to hang on to a small toehold on the opposite bank. This was later exploited when the rest of 1. Kompanie arrived, and it led to the successful creation of the first bridgehead over the Pinios.”