Date of birth:

January 16th, 1895 (Varel/Lower Saxony, Germany)

Date of death:

March 24th, 1966 (Heidelberg/Baden-Württemberg, Germany)

Service number:

NSDAP-Nr.:

Nationality:

German

His last achieved rank was Generalleutnant.

09.08.1914: Fahnenjunker, Jäger-Ersatz-Bataillon 10
01.09.1914: Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon
12.09.1914: Hannoverschen Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 10 - Western front
07.03.1915-23.04.1915: Offiziers-Lehrkurs
08.05.1915: promoted to Leutnant and appointed to the Oldenburgische Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 91 as Zugführer then Kompanieführer
25.06.1915: WIA
30.06.1915-02.07.1915: hospital in Charlottenburg
25.08.1915: back to his Regiment
06.10.1915: WIA
25.02.1916-15.03.1916: Kompanieführer-Lehrgang, 19. Infanterie-Division
19.06.1916: back to his regiment on the Eastern Front
00.06.1916: WIA and sent to a Feldlazarett
00.06.1916-02.07.1916: Feldlazarett Warschau
02.07.1916-05.09.1916: Reserve-Lazarett St. Georgs-Haus I, Station 6, Leipzig
03.10.1916: I. Ersatz-Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 91
07.10.1916: Eastern Front as Kompanieführer, 4. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 91
10.10.1917: sent to the Western Front and WIA North of Beaumont
14.10.1917-25.10.1917: Vereinslazarett, Heinrich-Lanz-Krankenhaus, Mannheim
27.10.1917: I. Ersatz-Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 91
17.11.1917: Infanterie-Regiment 91
20.11.1917: Führer, 4. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 91
17.04.1918: severely WIA near Hangard and sent to the Reserve-Lazarett Barmen, then in the Vereinslager Cäcilienhaus in Charlottenburg then in the Reserve-Lazarett Barmen
10.06.1919: Leiter, Versorgungsabteilung, Regiment 91
26.06.1919: Reserve-Lazarett I in Oldenburg
30.06.1919: I. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 91
07.08.1919-02.09.1919: stellvertretender Adjutant
11.10.1919: Sicherheitspolizei Mecklenburg-Stettin as Polizei-Major
27.03.1920: retired Char. als Oberleutnant, authorized to wear the uniform of the Infanterie-Regiments 91
01.12.1931: entered the NSDAP
10.10.1934: Hauptmann, Infanterie-Regiment Osnabrück, 3. Kompanie in Lingen
15.10.1934: Chef, 3. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 37
03.12.1936-19.12.1936: Stabsoffiziers-Lehrgang, 6. Division
01.11.1935: promoted to Major
01.02.1937: Kommandeur, III. Bataillon, Infanterie-Regiment 37
01.08.1938: promoted to Oberstleutnant
00.00.1938: posted to defend the Westwall
10.05.1940: Führer-Reserve, 6. Infanterie-Division
23.06.1940: 6. Infanterie-Division
24.09.1940: Führer-Reserve, OKH
10.12.1940: Kommandeur, Infanterie-Regiment 18
01.08.1941: promoted to Oberst
17.08.1942: Kommandant der Stadt Rshew
01.01.1943: Führer-Reserve
17.01.1943: stellvertretender Führer, 2. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division
01.02.1943: Oberst, Kommandeur, Grenadier-Regiment 18, proposed for the Eichenlaub
18.01.1943: Führer, 253. Infanterie-Division
01.04.1943: promoted to Generalmajor and Kommandeur 253. Infanterie-Division
01.10.1943: promoted to Generalleutnant
10.03.1945: repelled a soviet offensive region Schwarzwasser - south east of Skotschau
09.05.1945: Soviet POW in Czech Republic
12.10.1955 released

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Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

July 14th, 1915

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

July 23rd, 1915

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

August 13th, 1916

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

July 17th, 1917

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

May 13th, 1918

with Kriegsdekoration

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

July 8th, 1918

with swords

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

August 23rd, 1918

with swords

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

August 30th, 1918

WIA 25.06.1915 + 06.10.1915 + 19.06.1916 + 10.10.1917 + 17.04.1918

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

January 19th, 1935

Awarded on:

October 2nd, 1936

Awarded on:

October 2nd, 1936

Awarded on:

October 2nd, 1936

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

October 12th, 1939

Had already received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on July 23rd 1915.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 30th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 10th, 1940

Had already received the Iron Cross 1st Class on June 17th 1917.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberst (Colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur, Infanterie-Regiment 18, 6. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

September 29th, 1941

393rd Award.
Was written in the Ehrenblatt and received the Spange, when it was introduced.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberst (Colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur, Infanterie-Regiment 18, 6. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

October 4th, 1941

393rd Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberst (Colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur, Infanterie-Regiment 18, 6. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

October 18th, 1941

Award 1/30

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 1st, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberst (Colonel)

Unit:

Kommandeur, Infanterie-Regiment 18, 6. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

October 29th, 1942

Becker’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“The enemy achieved a penetration to the northeast of Rzhev’s city edge at around 18:00 on the 17.08.1942. The enemy strength in this sector was 4 divisions. The only friendly forces available to seal off this breach were the lead elements of the newly-arrived I./Infanterie-Regiment 430. Strong enemy fire of all kinds brought heavy losses to this unit and broke its cohesion. Contact to the left and right no longer existed. Oberst Becker was informed via radio of this extremely critical situation, and he immediately drove to the break-in point. While on his way there he encountered enemy forces that had broken through to the city’s edge in the meantime. This was a critical situation for the defense of Rzhev, however Oberst Becker succeeded in mastering the situation in our favour.

In the midst of the raging battle, and on his own initiative, he instructed a newly arriving Kompanie of the I./Infanterie-Regiment 430 as to the terrain and the enemy situation. He then sent it in for a counterthrust as friendly artillery served to seal off the penetration with fierce artillery strikes in and in front of the breach. Furthermore he also personally gathered up those friendly elements that had been scattered around the battlefield. Through a combination of will to resist and toughness he managed to deploy these in such a way that all further enemy breakthrough attempts on this evening were repulsed. The frontline itself was retaken and held. He thus achieved an outstanding success here through his decisiveness and the brave behaviour that provided an inspirational example for his men. The result was that the enemy was denied their breakthrough. Also prevented was the rolling up of the friendly frontline, the capture of the Volga bridges and the northern part of the city as well as the cutting off of the 6. Infanterie-Division from its rearward connections. Oberst Becker was the soul of the resistance in the fighting for this hotly contested city, and the enemy has so far been unable to break his spirit. I thus hold Oberst Becker as being particularly worthy of receiving the high award of the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Generalleutnant (Major-general)

Unit:

Kommandeur, 252. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

October 24th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Generalleutnant (Major-general)

Unit:

Kommandeur, 252. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

October 10th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Generalleutnant (Major-general)

Unit:

Kommandeur, 253. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

April 14th, 1945

On the 10.03.1945 the Soviets commenced a major assault in the area along both sides of Schwarzwasser (southeast of Skotschau). Their attacking forces consisted of about 13 rifle divisions, 3 rifle brigades, 1 mechanized corps and 2-3 tank brigades from the 4th Ukrainian Front.

Among the defending forces was the 253. Infanterie-Division under the command of Generalleutnant Becker. The Germans knew the attack was coming, and so immediately before the assault began they succeeded in pulling back to a pre-prepared line about 3-4 km behind the original frontline. The Russian artillery barrage thus struck an empty trench line, and Becker’s Division was subsequently able to hold off the assault. Becker was later awarded the Oakleaves for his actions during this defensive battle west of Schwarzwasser.

829th Award.

• Photo 1: Wilco Vermeer
• Photo: Wilco Vermeer collection, the Netherlands
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück, 1987.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Kwasny A., Kwasny G., Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945 (CD), Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv, Lage-Waddenhausen, 2001
  - Axis Biographical Research