 At first, the recipient of the Knight's Cross, or one of its higher grades, received a brief telegram informing him of the award of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.Thereafter he received a "Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis" (Preliminary Testimonial of Ownership).The award was also noted in the recipients "Soldbuch" (Soldiers Pay Book), his "Wehrpass" (Military Identification) and personnel records.