Walther, Erich
- Date of birth:
- August 5th, 1903 (Gorden-Liebenwerda/Saxony, Germany)
- Date of death:
- December 26th, 1948 (Lager Weimar-Buchenwald/Thuringia, Germany)
- Nationality:
- German
Biography
Died on 26th December 1948 in Soviet imprisonment in POW camp Weimar near Buchenwald.
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Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- April 18th, 1940
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Awarded on:
- April 26th, 1940
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Major
- Unit:
- Kommandeur, I. Bataillon, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1, 7. Flieger-Division, Luftwaffe
- Awarded on:
- May 24th, 1940
1) His bold maneuvers with the reinforced 2./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 towards Hamar and Elverum that disrupted the Norwegian mobilization efforts and thus greatly aided the German effort.
2) Capturing the bridges at Dordrecht and holding them against repeated counterattacks until the arrival of friendly German forces.
39th Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Major
- Unit:
- Kommandeur, I. Bataillon, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2, 7. Flieger-Division, Luftwaffe
- Awarded on:
- March 31st, 1942
Award 2/32.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberst
- Unit:
- Kommandeur Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4 / 1.Fallschirmjäger-Division / XIV.Armee-Korps / 10.Armee / Heeresgruppe C
- Awarded on:
- March 2nd, 1944
1) Capturing a critical section of the railway line transporting Swedish iron ore to Norway with 2 companies of his battalion and 4 companies of Marines.
2) Holding the Simeto bridges in Sicily for three days against strong allied pressure with his Kampfgruppe.
411th Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Oberst
- Unit:
- Führer Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Division 2 "Hermann Göring" / Fallschirm-Panzer-Korps „Hermann Göring“ / 4.Armee / Heeresgruppe Mitte
- Awarded on:
- February 1st, 1945
Awarded for the successful leadership of his Division in the battles in East Prussia. This was both in the first battle of East Prussia (from the Gumbinnen—Ebenrode road to Großwaltersdorf), as well as the second battle of East Prussia beginning on 13.01.1945. In this second battle the Division resisted days of repeated Soviet breakthrough attempts.
131st Award.
131st Award.
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
Sources
- Photo 1: Wehrkundearchiv
- Photo: Deutsches Wehrkundearchiv
- - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
- PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
- THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GüNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1998.
- THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GüNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1986.
- 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
Photo
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