Knights Cross Recipients--an up-date.

Courtesey of Erich Brown (borrowed from a posting he made but name is added here just for reference)

RKT Helmut Ruffler passed away on Sept 21st 2001 in Niederskassel. He was in Jagdgeschwader 3.

 

Well folks, another set of knights have passed away

Oskar Bremermann and
Karlheinz Zillies

Dammit!!

 

This really sucks Carl ! Guys, I hope you have your paper and pen and monies ready..........get going, I am this next week to send off 5 hurriedly done mails and I hope the postal service doesn't slow things up. What usually takes 5 days to get to the UK from me; the last package I sent was on the 2nd of the month and it's not there yet..........crap ! hurry up guys......

E getting more and more upset

 

THATS the truth. A friend of mine--a former USMC Gunny Sergeant "Gunny" is helping with these updates too. He has written to appx 50 RKTs so far.

Also, if I didnt mention it here before, but and I dont know if this is true or not as the rumor is circulating around another forum these days but, I have been told that the senior surviving officer from the Battleship Bismarck--Burkhard Frhr. von Mullenheim-Rechburg, has passed away.

I'm really hoping thats not true, as I knew him and he was a true gentleman.

 

RKT Walther Peer Fellgieble passed away on October 14th 2001. He was the man with the best book on RKT info. Darn it all Rest in peace sir

 

Thanks to my and our friend Paul for this info. It is my sad duty to inform you that Waffen SS Knights Cross Recipient: Paul-Albert Kausch, had passed away. He died in Ingelheim, Germany on October 27th 2001.

Paul-Albert Kausch, was a lifelong best friend of fellow Ritterkreuztrager Remy Schrijnen of SS Sturmbrigade Langemarck.

When Remy Schrijnen had been wounded 5 times-had been behing Russian lines by himself for 3 days--had killed at a modest estimate of 100 Russian Infantry--and knocked out appx 17 T-34 and JS-1 tanks, by himself. Paul was the man who rescued Remy, who was still at his post, during a Waffen SS counterattack against the Russian positions.

Remy and Paul became fast friends and remained the best of friends till Pauls passing.

I certainly do hope Paul is resting well now, as he is now in a much better place.

[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: C.Evans ]

 

Carl :

First let me say thank you for the info on Remy. I'll send you a private request later today on him if I may. This is indeed lousy news, I have ordered the new English version of the 11th SS and the 23rd SS Nederland and was hoping to have a letter to Paul with a singed sticker and pic hopefully for this book.......rats. See guys, we need to get on the horn and write these gents. Everytime one passes, albeit US, British, Russian, Japenese, German or whomever, there is a window gone from history.

I am most saddened by this and all the guys that have served and now passed from us...

E

 

Erich-thanks and me too. I have to get busy and start writing to US vets and to Captain Annand V.C.

 

RKT Franz Hack is gone also. He passed away sometime ago, and I had this info but totally forgot about it as i just discovered the note I wrote to myselkf reminding me to post it.

Also, Karl-Heinz Giesler is NOT, I repeat, IS NOT A Knights Cross Recipient. This man is a fraud.

 

The only Feldgendarmerie in ww2 to become a Knights Cross Recipient, has passed away.

Heinz Heuer passed away in Koblenz on Jan 6th 2002.

Rest in Peace Herr Heuer.

 

How disgusting !....another one passes.

Carl, have you had chance to write Korvettenkapitän Fredrich Kemnade of S-boot fame yet ? the guy is 90 or 91 and can't say if he is alive or not......

we better write him soon I think.

E

 

Carl,

Have just checked the RK site and sadly found out that the following Waffen SS Ritterkreuztragers have passed away.

SS Sturmbannfuhrer Hans Hauser, "Der Fuhrer" Rgt on 21/11/01

SS Obersturmfuhrer Heinrich Bastian, "Deutschland" Rgt ,16/1/02

SS Obersturmfuhrer Otto Schneider, 7/SS Pz Rgt 5 "Wiking" on 6/11/01

SS Obersturmfuhrer Franz Riedel,7/ SS Pz Rgt 10 ,"Frundsberg" on 21/5/01.

Guys if you are wanting to contact veterans,don't think about it, DO IT NOW!!

Paul

 

Damn.... I had not been aware that Hans Hauser was gone--let alone the rest. Paul many thanks for this update. Damn......

Heres to you guys.

/---------------------\ ||
|Ritterkreuze Bier-|||""|""\______
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(@)!'!(@)"""""**|(@)(@)****|(@)



[ 07 February 2002: Message edited by: C.Evans ]

[ 07 February 2002: Message edited by: C.Evans ]</p>

 

Carl and everybody,

Found out today that Ritterkreuztrager Walter von Wietersheim passed away on 19/1/2002 in Bielefeld.He won the RK on 15/5/44 as a Hauptmann Commanding II Abt/ Panzer Regt,Grossdeutschland Div.

.His family informed me that his Funeral took place on 25/1/2002,another brave man has gone.For those who have the book there is an excellent photo of him wearing his RK in The Osprey men at arms series,Panzer Divisions by Martin Windrow.

Paul

 

Paul, thanks for this sad update--Wietersheim was another I was about to write to--damn

I also know of the photo which you speak--excellent one of him. This is one of the reasons why I love those Osprey books so much.

 

Carl,

More bad news my friend,have just found out that SS Oberscharfuher Willi Fey RKT on 29/4/45 with s.SS Panzer Abt 502 passed away on 29/4/2002 after a long illness.

For those interested in Waffen SS Panzer units Will's book Armour Battles of the Waffen SS 1943-1945 is a must for veterans accounts of the final 2 years of the war.I believe it is now out of print but i was lucky enough to get a copy direct from Will himself.

Another true Panzermann has gone!

Also SS Obersturmfuhrer Willi Hund passed away on 30/4/2002.

Paul

 

Thank you my friend for this update. Now all THREE Willy's are gone--Willi Hein and Willy Hund and Willi Fey. I used to be in email correspondance with Willy Hein and I think I still have them saved. It seems as Ernst Barkmann is one of the only Waffen SS Panzer RKTs still living--I know there are more but not in these guys class.

 

Carl,

Your right not many Waffen SS Panzer Rkt's are left now,although Karl Nicolussi-Leck and Karl-Heinz Lichte from the Wiking are still going as is Fritz Darges who is 90.Others i can think of are Fritz Langanke,Paul Eggers,Oscar Schafer,Rudolf von Ribbontrop,Richard Rudolf.
I will send you a mail about Willi Hein.

Paul

 

Hello Paul, anmd thank you again my friend. Also, a friend of mine in Switzerland is now a full member of the OdR, and will be sending me an application to join. I have to get Remy to be my sponsor.

Anyway--he sent me a list of more who have passed away--ill be printing his list here tomorrow as I have to run to work. See you then. This list has names we have here and some we didnt have--a total of 32.

 

32, dang ! Well I'll be most interested in whom of the Luftwaffe have passed on to blue skies. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to record information from these gentlemen.......rats !

E