- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberst (Colonel)
- Unit:
- Kommandeur 2.Schützen-Brigade
- Awarded on:
- July 30th, 1940
The following wartime excerpt (dated 30.08.1940) describes why Vaerst received the Knight’s Cross…
“Oberst von Vaerst distinguished himself in an outstanding way throughout the whole campaign in the West. In this capacity he distinguished himself through ruthless dedication during the crossing of the Maas river as well as the in subsequent fighting. His calm and masterful command abilities (usually wielded whilst under enemy fire) inspired his subordinates to give their best in all this time. Oberst von Vaerst also showed noteworthy bravery during the capture of the Boulogne fortress.”