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 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.
Weimar Republic
Nazi Germany 
West Germany
Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht)
German Army (Bundeswehr)Walter Gericke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 23 December 1907 |
| Died | 19 October 1991 (aged 83) |
| Allegiance | Weimar Republic Nazi Germany West Germany |
| Branch | Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht) German Army (Bundeswehr) |
| Service years | 1929–45, 1956–65 |
| Rank | Oberst (Wehrmacht) Generalmajor (Bundeswehr) |
| Commands | 11th Parachute Division 1. Luftlandedivision |
| Conflicts | 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 World War II.
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (10 April 40) & 1st Class (12 May 1940)[1]
- German Cross in Gold on 12 December 1943 as Major in the II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6[2]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
