Wilhelm Osterhold

Wilhelm Osterhold
Born	12 January 1914 Bad Oldesloe
Died	3 April 2002 (aged 88) Hann Münden
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1935–45
Rank	Oberstleutnant (Wehrmacht) Oberst (Bundeswehr)
Commands held	Grenadier-Regiment 48
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Demyansk Pocket Operation Bagration Battle of Aachen Battle of the Bulge
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Bundeswehr

Wilhelm Osterhold (12 January 1914 – 3 April 2002) was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II and an Oberst in the Bundeswehr. 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.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (13 October 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (31 December 1940)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
• Eastern Front Medal
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
• 3 Tank Destruction Badges for Individual Combatants
• German Cross in Gold on 3 June 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 12./Infanterie-Regiment 27^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 26 March 1944 as Major and commander of III./Füsilier-Regiment 27^[3]
  • 732nd Oak Leaves on 10 February 1945 as Oberstleutnant and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 48^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 134.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 340.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 270.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 80.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht