Willy Wesche

Willy Wesche
Born	(1899-01-08)8 January 1899
Died	27 June 1944(1944-06-27) (aged 45)
Place of birth	Westerode
Place of death	Bobruysk, Belarus
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1920) Nazi Germany (to 1944)
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1916–1920 1936–1945
Rank	Oberst
Commands held	Grenadier-Regiment 427
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Smolensk (1941) Battle of Moscow Battles of Rzhev Battle of Smolensk (1943) Operation Bagration Bobruysk Offensive†
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Bank clerk

Willy Wesche (8 January 1899 – 27 June 1944) was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients 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. Willy Wesche was killed on 27 June 1944 in Bobruysk, Belarus during the Bobruysk Offensive. he was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 6 August 1944.

Awards and decorations

• Cross of Honor
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (15 August 1941)
  • 1st Class (4 October 1941)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
  • in Silver
• German Cross in Gold (20 July 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 9 April 1943 as Major and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 430
  • 541st Oak Leaves on 6 August 1944 as Oberst and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 427

References

Citations

Bibliography

• 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.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht