This image displays a toy minifigure set representing Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) Erwin Rommel, one of Germany’s most famous and celebrated commanders of World War II. The label on the image, “AFRIKA KORPS Erwin Rommel,” confirms his identity.
The figure is depicted in a tropical “walking out” uniform from the North African Campaign. He wears a grey German officer’s peaked visor cap (Schirmmütze) with the gold piping and insignia of a general. His tunic is white, worn over a tan shirt and paired with tan trousers and boots, an outfit suitable for the hot desert climate when not in active combat.
His identity is unmistakably confirmed by his unique combination of decorations. Worn at his neck is the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, Germany’s highest award for valor in WWII. Just above it is the Pour le Mérite (or “Blue Max”), Imperial Prussia’s highest military honor, which Rommel earned for his extraordinary bravery and leadership as a young officer in World War I. This combination of the Third Reich’s highest award and the old Imperial Prussia’s highest award was exceptionally rare and famously associated with Rommel.
The set also includes an accessory: a toy replica of the Luger P08 pistol, a common and highly-prized sidearm for German officers.
Historical Background: Erwin Rommel (1891-1944), nicknamed the “Desert Fox” (Wüstefuchs), was a German field marshal renowned for his tactical genius. He commanded the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) in North Africa, where his daring and chivalrous conduct earned him the respect of both his own troops and his Allied opponents. He was later tasked with defending the Atlantic Wall against the Allied D-Day invasion. After being implicated in the 20th July plot to assassinate Hitler, he was forced to commit suicide in 1944.
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