SS-Brigadefrer Kurt Meyer

Kurt Adolph Wilhelm Meyer was born in Jerxheim on 23 December, 1910. His father was a factory worker, and a NCO in the first world war, obtaining the rank of Sergent Major. He was to die of wounds recieved in battle.
After school, Meyer worked in a factory, then as a miner, while waiting to be accepted into the Mecklenburg Police force, which he was on 1 October 1929. Meyer joined the NSDAP on 1 September 1930, and was admitted into the SS on 15 October 1931, posted to the 22.SS-Standarte in Schwerin. On 15 May 1934 he transferred to the LSSAH as a SS-Untersturmfrer. By September 1936 he obtained the rank of SS-Obersturmfrer and assumed command of 14 Panzerabwehr Kompanie. He was to command this Kompanie throughout the invasion of Poland, winning the Iron Cross second class on 25 September 1939. Meyer was also wounded for the first time on 7 September when he was shot in the shoulder. On 1 October Meyer was given command of the 15 Kradschzenkompanie (Motorcycle) which he led throughout the invasion of France and the Low Countries. Commanding the first, and second Platoons respectivley, where Hugo Kraas and Max Wsche. It was during these battles that Meyer was awarded the Iron Cross first class (31 May 1940 - Author). After the Western Campaign, 15 Kradschzenkompanie was reorganized into the LSSAH's Aufkl酺ungsabteilung (Recconaissance detachment) and Meyer was promoted to SS-Sturmbannfrer. Despite all of his previous success, it was not until the Balkan Campaign that he was to show his true "draufgangertum"

Meyer's attack to cut off the Greek III Corps retreat from Albania began on 13 April. To accomplish their objectives his Abteilung would storm the Klissura pass, rush onward to Lake Kastoria, and cut off the Greek forces in the town of Kastoria. On the Morning of 14 April, Meyer's attack began to bog down in front of the town of werjes, located directly on the Klissura pass and defended by the Greek 20.Infantry Division. Not only were the troops well entrenched in the town, additional defenders where stationed on the heights to either side of the pass, affording the defenders excellent visability, and a clear line of fire on the attackers.

Organizing his Abteilung into three assualt groups, one led by Meyer himself, the attack on the town was launched at dawn while Kraas' Kompanie stormed the heights. By 11 am the outer defenses where broken, and by late afternoon the town captured. 600 prisoners where taken for the loss of 1 officer and 6 men killed, 1 officer and 17 men wounded. On the 15th , the Abteilung reached Lake Kastoria, and travelling along the western bank in a northerly direction Kastoria was assaulted from the south. By early evening the town had capitulated, and Meyer's Abeitlung was responsible for the capture of a additional 1,100 prisoners! For this, and other actions Meyer was awarded the Knight's Cross on 18 May 1941. In October 1941 Meyer fell ill and command of the Aufkl酺ungsabteilung was temporally assumed by 2.Kompaniefrer Hugo Kraas until January 1942. On 8 February 1942 Meyer was awarded the German Cross in Gold.

On 23 Febuary 1943, Meyer was the 195th man awarded Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross for his role in the recapture of Kharkov amongst many other succesfull engagements with SS-Aufkl.Abt 1. That summer Hitler declared the formation of a new SS Division, to be filled by members of the Hitlerjugend organization born in the year 1926. The commanding officers where to come from the the 1.SS-Panzerdivision "Liebstandarte Adolph Hitler". Despite his desire to lead the newly formed Panzerregiment, Meyer was chosen to command the young Grenadiers of SS-Panzergrenadierregiment 25 instead, and was promoted to SS-Standartenfrer on 21 June 1943.

On 6 June the Allied forces commenced with the largest amphibous assault in history, Operation Overlord. On 14 June, less than two weeks into the invasion the unthinkable occured. SS-Brigadefrer Fritz Witt, commander of the 12.SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend" was killed by a Allied naval bombardment. As the highest ranking field officer, SS-Standartenfrer Kurt Meyer was officially given command of the division on 16 June. At 33 he was the youngest divisional commander in the German Armed Forces. On 27 August, Kurt Meyer became just the 91st soldier to be awarded Swords to the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. One week later, on 1 September, he was promoted to SS-Brigadefrer. Meyer's command of the division was to abruptly end on 6 September with his capture by Belgian partisans in the town of Durnal.

SS-Brigadefrer Kurt Meyer was held as a prisoner of war until December 1945, where in the town of Aurich Germany, he was branded a criminal of war with five charges levied against him. On 27 December he was convicted on two of those five charges; inciting his troops to deny quarter, and for the death of 18 Canadian prisoners of war at the Ardenne Abbey between 7-8 June, 1944. He was sentenced by Major General H.W. Foster, commander of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, to 'suffer death by being shot'. This sentence was comuted to life imprisonment in January 1946 by Major General Chris Vokes because, "When I studied the evidence against Meyer I found it to be a mass of circumstantial evidence". For an in depth look at Meyer's trial and conviction, see War Crimes.

Meyer served five years in Dorchester prison, located in New Bruswick Canada. He was then transferred to a Brittish Military prison in Werl, West Germany. After nine years imprisonment, he was released on 7 September 1954 and went to work for the Andreas Brewery in Hagen. He became very active in the organization HIAG, and was very outspoken in it's battle to get war pensions for former members of the Waffen-SS. In 1957 his book Grenadiers was published. With failing health, Meyer suffered three mild strokes in 1961, before dying of a heart attack in Hagen Westphalia on 23 December, 1961. The date was his birthday. He was 51.

Hans-Joachim Marseille

As in the case of Werner Mölders, the circumstances during which "Jochen" Marseille died, have been the object of speculation. Marseille's willfulness and defective discipline are well-known. Having noted his 100th kill on June 17, 1942, he was supposed to take a five week's leave in Germany.
According to unconfirmed sources - which nevertheless laid the ground for a feature film - Marseille should have tried to "back out" in Italy, after having been detailed on the "final solution" intended for the Jewish people. According to this version, he was caught by the Gestapo and given the choice of returning to his unit and continue to play the role of Luftwaffe's war hero No 1 - or having himself and his whole family executed. What is known is that he didn't return to his unit in Africa until the end of August, with the explanation given that he had "disappeared with a woman in Italy".
The following month, Marseille did his utmost to live up to his role as "Hero No 1", setting the record of the war by shooting down 17 British fighters on September 1, 1942. During that month, which was to become the last of his life, he shot down the incredible amount of 57 British aircraft. On September 30, 1942, his Messerschmitt G-2 obtained engine trouble during a routine flight. He bailed out and was struck by the tailplane - but no parachute was opened and the formidable fighter fell to a certain death.