Willy Wesche

Willy Wesche
Born	8 January 1899 Westerode
Died	27 June 1944 (aged 45) Bobruysk, Belarus
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1920)  Nazi Germany (to 1944)
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1916–20 1936–45
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

• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (15 August 1941)^[1]
  • 1st Class (4 October 1941)^[1]
• Eastern Front Medal
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze
  • in Silver
• German Cross in Gold on 20 July 1942 as Major in the II./Infanterie-Regiment 430^[2]
• 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^[3]
  • 541st Oak Leaves on 6 August 1944 as Oberst and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 427^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 438.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 508.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 360.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 73.

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