Elster, Botho Hening (Generalmajor)

Date of birth:: May 17th, 1894 (Berlin-Steglitz, Germany)
Date of death:: June 24th, 1952 (Böblingen, Germany)
Buried on:: German War Cemetery Wangerooge
Plot: Inselfried.
Nationality:: German

Biography

Promotions:
18.10.1913: Fähnrich
19.06.1914: Leutnant
18.10.1917: Oberleutnant
30.06.1920: Charakter als Hauptmann
01.07.1920: Polizei-Oberleutnant
13.07.1921: Polizei-Hauptmann
23.03.1932: Polizei-Major
01.08.1935: Major
01.10.1936: Oberstleutnant
01.08.1939: Oberst
01.03.1943: Generalmajor

Career:
28.02.1913: Fahnenjunker, Infanterie-Regiment 79
02.08.1914: Zugführer, MG-Kompanie, Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 77
23.11.1914: Kompanieführer, Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 259
11.05.1915: Regiments-Adjutant, Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 259
07.07.1918: Adjutant, Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade 78
16.08.1918: Brigade-Adjutant, Infanterie-Division 213
20.11.1918: detached to Armee Ober-Kommando 5
07.01.1919: Infanterie-Regiment 79
04.02.1919: Adjutant, Wehrkreis Kommando Hildesheim
23.04.1919: Kompanie-Chef, Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 19
30.06.1920: retired
01.07.1920: joined the Polizei in Hannover
07.04.1924: Kdr, Polizei, Altona
09.04.1925: Kdr, Polizei, Hildesheim
01.04.1932: Polizei-Haupt-Amt, Kresfeld
15.11.1932: director of the Department of Foreign-Police at the Police-Institute Berlin
28.02.1933: delegated to the Disarmament-Commission in Geneva
29.11.1933: specialist for Foreign Affairs, International Pacts and Organisation, State-Police, Prussian Ministry Of The Interior
01.04.1934: Operations-Stab, Staat-Polizei
30.01.1935: director of the Intelligence Service and the Press Office, Reichs-Stab, Staat-Polizei
06.05.1935: Bataillons-Kommandeur-Lehragang, Infanterie-Schule Döberitz
01.08.1935: transferred to the Wehrmacht
01.10.1935: 3. Panzer-Abzehr-Bataillon, Magdeburg
15.10.1935: Kdr, 3. Panzer-Abzehr-Bataillon, Magdeburg
10.11.1938-02.03.1941: Kdr, Panzer-Regiment 8
02.03.1941: Stab, Panzer-Brigade100
05.07.1941-28.10.1941: Kdr, Panzer-Brigade 101
28.10.1941-12.02.1942: Höhere Panzer-Offizier, Stab, Heeresgruppe D
12.02.1942: Kdr, Panzer-Brigade 100
26.02.1943-30.04.1943: Führer-Reserve
30.04.1943: Feld-Kommandant 894
01.04.1944: Feld-Kommandant 541, Biarritz
23.08.1944: tried to retreat to Germany with almost 20.000 men from Mont de Marsan via Poitiers and Issoudun being harrassed on the way by the fRench Resistance
07.09.1944: bombed by the USAF and the RAF near the city of Châteauroux killing 400 Germans and 300 horses and destroying 70 vehicles and started the negociation to surrender with General Macon's US 83rd Infantry-Division
17.09.1944: surrendered surrendered 754 officers, 18,850 men and two women, 400 trucks, 1,000 wagons, 2.000 horses and 4.000 automatic weapons, plus armored cars, artillery and small arms to the US troops at Beaugency, France
18.09.1944: US POW
07.03.1945: sentenced to death in absentia by a Nazi military court for surrendering without permission
07.02.1947: released