Walter | |
---|---|
Born | 7 September 1898 |
Died | 17 October 1983 | (aged 85)
Place of birth | Hildesheim, Germany |
Place of death | Cologne, Germany |
Allegiance |
German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1919) Nazi Germany |
Service/branch | Heer |
Years of service |
1914-1919 1939-1945 |
Rank | Oberst der Reserve |
Commands held | Sturm-Regiment AOK 2 |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Other work | Police officer |
Walter Schlags-Koch (7 September 1898 – 17 October 1983) was a highly decorated Oberst der Reserve in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was also awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold one of only 631 awards.
Awards and decorations[]
- Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Cross of Honor
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- Wound Badge
- in Black
- in Silver
- Infantry Assault Badge
- Eastern Front Medal
- Close Combat Clasp
- Honour Roll Clasp of the Army (15 November 1943)[1]
- German Cross in Gold (20 August 1943)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 5 September 1944 as Major of the Reserves and commander of I./Grenadier-Regiment 365[3]
- (876th) Oak Leaves on 9 May 1945 as Oberstleutnant of the Reserves and commander of Sturm-Regiment AOK 2[4][Note 1]
Notes[]
- ↑ The Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) received Walter Schlags-Koch's nomination via wireless communication on 6 April 1945. Major Joachim Domaschk requested via wireless communication the advisory opinion of the 2. Armee. Presumably this statement was not received yet on 28 April because Domaschk decided to postpone the decision and ordered the re-presentation for 8 May, which was never processed. The entry date for the wireless nomination of 6 April 1945 is noted on the nomination list of the higher grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. However no other date is listed, the section comments states "unprocessed". The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1973 and decided: "877 Oak Leaves". This decision was not approved by Gerhard von Seemann—author of various publications regarding the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross—since Schlags-Koch is not listed as an Oak Leaves recipient in his book Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 (2nd edition from 1976). The presentation number was later changed by Fellgiebel to "876". The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel. Schlags-Koch was a member of the AKCR.[5]
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold. Selbstverlag Florian Berger ISBN 3-9501307-3-X.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2300-3.