Walter Gericke
German paratroop officer in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walter Gericke (23 December 1907 – 19 October 1991) was a German paratroop officer in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II and a general in the Bundeswehr of West Germany. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
Walter Gericke | |
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Born | (1907-12-23)23 December 1907 Bilderlahe |
Died | 19 October 1991(1991-10-19) (aged 83) |
Allegiance | Weimar Republic Nazi Germany West Germany |
Service/ | Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht) German Army (Bundeswehr) |
Years of service | 1929–45, 1956–65 |
Rank | Oberst (Wehrmacht) Generalmajor (Bundeswehr) |
Commands held | 11th Parachute Division 1. Luftlandedivision |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Gericke took part in the Battle of the Netherlands and the Battle of Crete as a Fallschirmjäger battalion commander. He later commanded the Fallschirjäger-Regiment 11 (part of the 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division) and fought in the Battle of Anzio.
Gericke joined the newly formed Bundeswehr after the rearmament of West Germany and as a Generalmajor led the 1. Luftlande-Division from 1962 to 1965.
In 1974, Gericke supported the establishment of a war cemetery in Maleme which is the final resting place for 4.465 German soldiers who lost their lives on the island of Crete during WWII.