The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. August Schmidt was captured by British troops on 8 May 1945. In October 1947 he was sentenced to life imprisonment because of war crimes committed against captured British airman.
His sentence was later reduced to ten years, and in 1950 he was released due to health reasons.
Iron Cross (1914) Bibliography.
Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (17 September 1914) 1st Class (14 March 1917) Wound Badge (1914) in Black Knight"s Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (12 April 1917) Knight"s Cross Second Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion with Swords (8 September 1917) Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (1 November 1935) Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (1 October 1939) 1st Class (21 May 1940) German Cross in Gold (6 March 1944) Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 February 1945 as General der Flakartillerie and commander of Luftgau VI Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords (23 August 1942).
