Siegfried Karl Theodor Westphal
Date of Birth: 18.03.1902 - Leipzig, Sachsen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 02.07.1982 - Celle, Niedersachsen (West Germany)
Family Member: Father Theodor Westphal (Postdirektor and Major der Reserve); mother Margarete Westphal Wilske; 24.10.1933 marriage with the Austro-Hungarian "Baronesse Judith von Sewaldt auf Szentandras und Alap". The older of their two sons, Hubertus (born in 1936), died by an accident on 09.09.1961 as Oberleutnant (Panzeraufklärer) of the Bundeswehr
Promotions:
10.11.1918 Fahnenjunker
01.12.1922 Leutnant (14)
01.11.1927 Oberleutnant (1)
01.05.1934 Rittmeister (2)
01.02.1937 umernannt zum Hauptmann
10.11.1938 umernannt zum Rittmeister
05.01.1939 Major im Generalstab mit RDA vom 01.10.1938 (20a)
xx.xx.19xx neues RDA vom 01.10.1937 (49a) erhalten
01.02.1941 Oberstleutnant im Generalstab (16)
01.08.1942 Oberst im Generalstab (5)
10.03.1943 Generalmajor (ohne RDA)
01.08.1943 RDA erhalten (25)
01.04.1944 Generalleutnant (11)
28.02.1945 General der Kavallerie mit RDA vom 30.01.1945 (5a)
Career:
10.11.1918 Fahnenjunker in Grenadier-Regiment 12, conditionally able-bodied (bedingt tauglich)
23.09.1919 in der Maschinengewehreskadron des Kavallerieregiments 6
16.07.1920 im Reiterregiment 7
20.06.1922 im Reiterregiment 11
01.04.1924 in der 3. / Reiterregiment 11 (Neustadt / Oberschlesien) [laut Stellenbesetzung]
01.10.1924 im Stab des Reiterregiments 11 (Neustadt / Oberschlesien)
01.10.1925 in der Ausbildungseskadron des Reiterregiments 11 (Ohlau)
01.10.1926 in der 1. / Reiterregiment 16 (Erfurt)
01.05.1933 im Stab des Reiterregiments 16 (Erfurt) [laut Stellenbesetzung]
01.10.1933 zur Verfügung des Chefs der Heeresleitung / zur Ausbildung auf dem Offizierlehrgang
15.10.1935 in der 1. Abteilung (Operationsabteilung) des Generalstabes des Heeres (Berlin)
10.11.1938 Chef der 2. / Kavallerieregiment 13 (Lüneburg)
26.08.1939 Ia der 58. Infanteriedivision
15.03.1940 Ia des XXVI. Armeekorps
01.08.1940 kommandiert zur Waffenstillstandskommission
15.06.1941 im Stab des deutschen Verbindungsoffiziers beim italienischen Oberkommando in Nordafrika
15.08.1941 Ia der Panzergruppe Afrika
22.01.1942 Ia der Panzerarmee Afrika
06.10.1942 mit der Wahrnehmung der Geschäfte als Chef des Generalstabes der Panzerarmee Afrika beauftragt
25.10.1942 mit der Wahrnehmung der Geschäfte als Chef des Generalstabes der deutsch-italienischen Panzerarmee beauftragt
08.12.1942 mit der stellvertretenden Führung der 164. leichten Division beauftragt
29.12.1942 Führerreserve OKH (X)
01.02.1943 Chef der Führungsabteilung im Generalstab des Oberbefehlshabers Süd
15.06.1943 Chef des Generalstabes beim Oberbefehlshaber Süd
21.11.1943 Chef des Generalstabes beim Oberbefehlshaber Südwest (zugleich Chef des Generalstabes der Heeresgruppe C)
10.09.1944 Chef des Generalstabes beim Oberbefehlshaber West
22.04.1945 Chef des Generalstabes beim Oberbefehlshaber Süd
00.11.1959 Präsident des Ringes deutscher Soldatenverbände
00.00.1955 Vizepräsident im “Europäischen Frontkämpferbund“
Vorsitzender des “Verbandes Deutsches Afrikakorps“
Vorsitzender des Rommel-Sozialwerkes
Werk: “Heer in Fesseln“, 1950
Awards and Decorations:
00.00.193_ DRL-Sportabzeichen
00.00.193_ Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis II. Klasse
10.05.1940 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
28.05.1940 1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
15.12.1941 Medaglia d'Argento al Valor militare
00.00.194_ Ordine civile e militare dell'Aquila romana
00.00.194_ Ordine coloniale della Stella d'Italia
00.00.194_ Ordine militare di Savoia
19.12.1941 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, as Oberstleutnant i.G. and Chef des Generalstabes Panzer-Gruppe Afrika (first General Staff officer in the Wehrmacht to receive this award)
09.02.1942 Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber
00.00.1942 Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
29.11.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberst im Generalstab and Chef des Generalstabes Deutsch-Italienische Panzerarmee
00.00.1943 Afrika-Medaille
00.00.1943 Ärmelband "Afrika"
00.00.19__ Kommandeur der französischen Ehrenlegion
00.00.19__ Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland am Bande
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* He served as operations officer under Rommel and chief of staff under Kesselring and Rundstedt.
* Promotion to full general: His name was put forward for promotion to General der Kavallerie as one of the group to be promoted mWv and RDA of 30.01.1945. Hitler was unsure and delayed reaching a final decision until after the telexes were sent out, date stamped 25 January, informing the relevant Heeregruppen IIa and the consolidated list assigning seniority had been issued on 15.02.1945. Burgdorff wrote to von Rundstedt on 28.01.1945 informing him that Hitler had not yet made up his mind and later sent a telex on 23.02.1945 to OB West saying that Hitler had approved Westphal's promotion to General der Kavallerie, mWv and RDA 01.02.1945. However, in a telex to OB West IIa, date stamped 01.03.1945, Bachelin stated that the mWv and RDA had been changed to 30.01.1945.
* Westphal surrendered to the American troops in May 1945 and acted as a witness at the Nuremberg Trials. He was released in 1947.
* He wrote a book "The German Army in the West" which was published in 1952.
* He appears in a number of interview segments of "The World at War".
Siegfried Westphal was born in Leipzig on March 18, 1902, the son of an army officer. He graduated from Berlin-Lichterfelde (the foremost cadet academy in Germany) and entered the service at age 16 as a Fahnenjunker in the 12th Infantry Regiment on November 10, 1918. Germany signed the armistice the next day. Westphal remained in the service, however, and was commissioned second lieutenant in the 11th Cavalry Regiment in 1922. In 1932, he was assigned to the War Academy as General Staff candidate. He graduated in August 1935 and was assigned to the operations branch of the General Staff of the army. By 1938, he was a major, commanding a squadron in the 13th Cavalry Regiment at Lueneburg, Wehrkreis X. Just before World War II began, he was named Ia of the 58th Infantry Division, which was immediately sent to the Saar on the Western Front.
As a General Staff officer, Siegfried Westphal had a reputation for both brilliance and arrogance. Certainly he was good at what he did—and knew it. He was named chief of operations of the XXVII Corps on the Lower Rhine on March 5, 1940. His corps fought in Belgium and France in 1940, and he was then posted to eastern France on occupation duty. Westphal, however, was attached to the Franco-German Armistice Commission in August and was engaged in this duty on January 30, 1941, when he was promoted to colonel.
In the summer of 1941, Westphal was sent to North Africa, where he became Ia of Panzer Group Afrika on June 15. He fought in all of the major battles in North Africa from the Siege of Tobruk until the Battle of the Gazala Line. Because of Rommel’s command methods, he often had responsibilities that exceeded his rank and position. On November 24, 1941, during the Winter Battles, for example, Rommel struck toward the Egyptian frontier with the entire Afrika Korps, believing that this move would cause the collapse of the British 8th Army. General Sir Alan Cunningham, the army commander, was ready to retreat, but General Sir Claude Auchinleck, the commander-in-chief, Middle East, was not. He fired Cunningham, replaced him with Major General Sir Neil Ritchie, his own chief of staff, and ordered Ritchie to regroup and advance toward Tobruk again, despite Rommel’s move, which was later dubbed ‘‘the Dash to the Wire.’’
On November 25, the 2nd New Zealand Division was attacking the weak Group Boettcher at Belhamed. That afternoon, the New Zealand 4th Brigade took the airfield at Gambut, while the 22nd Guards Brigade joined the 2nd New Zealand and mauled Group Boettcher. Rommel had carried General Gause, his chief of staff, with him as he rode off to the east, leaving Westphal the senior officer at panzer army headquarters. The colonel realized that Boettcher could not hold out indefinitely, and that a major defeat was inevitable if reinforcements were not brought up immediately. The only force available for this task was the Afrika Korps. Westphal was unable to contact Rommel, Gause, or General Cruewell via radio despite multiple attempts. Showing considerable moral courage and placing his career squarely on the line, Westphal signaled General von Ravenstein, reversed Rommel’s orders (without indicating this fact to Ravenstein), and ordered the 21st Panzer Division to return to the Tobruk sector. ‘‘All orders given to you hitherto are cancelled,’’ the order read. ‘‘Twenty-first Panzer Division is to break through the Indian line in the direction of Bardia.’’ The division was 19 miles inside Egypt at the time and headed for a British supply depot, 50 miles to the east.
Rommel did not learn that the 21st Panzer had turned around until Ravenstein reported to him in Bardia. Even then, he thought that the British must have broken the German code. There was nothing to be done about it now, however. He ordered Ravenstein’s division to refuel in Bardia and, with the 15th Panzer, personally headed back to the Tobruk sector. When he finally arrived back at army headquarters on the evening of November 27, he found himself in an unexpected confrontation with Westphal. Even though he was furious, Rommel did not say anything; he simply turned on his heel and went to bed. Perhaps he realized that in his anger he might say something he would regret later. The next morning he emerged completely rested, and— much to the relief of his staff—forgave Westphal. He even admitted that the Ia’s course of action had been the correct one.
Like everyone else, Westphal found that working for demanding and Spartan Rommel was a difficult business. He nevertheless grew to admire his chief. ‘‘The man grew immensely in stature in proportion with his task,’’ he recalled after the war.
Rommel and Westphal had another disagreement on May 31, 1942, and this one almost cost the colonel his life. During the Gazala Line battles, he had gone forward with Rommel in an armored car to make a reconnaissance of the Got el Ualeb Box, to make sure that the Stuka dive-bombers were attacking it correctly. Westphal disagreed with Rommel about a minor point, and Rommel responded with a sharp remark. They were observing the situation from the soft-skinned portion of the armored car when they came under British artillery fire. Rommel dove for cover in the armored part of the vehicle and shouted for Westphal to do the same. The chief of operations, however, was still sulking and did not obey, acting as if he had not heard the general. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. Siegfried Westphal flew through the air like a bird and landed on the desert floor with a large piece of shrapnel in his upper thigh. Rommel’s driver, meanwhile, took off. Fortunately for Westphal, he was picked up by a Kuebelwagen (the German equivalent of a jeep) and taken to headquarters, from which he was sent to the hospital at Derna. He was medically evacuated back to Europe shortly thereafter. He was temporarily replaced by Friedrich-Wilhelm von Mellenthin, who was by now a close personal friend.
Westphal returned to duty on August 31, 1942. He fought in the 2nd Battle of El Alamein and in the subsequent retreat into Libya. Meanwhile, in October, Westphal was named chief of staff of Panzer Army Afrika (which was redesignated 1st Italian-German Army) to replace Alfred Gause, who had gone to Europe to take a cure. Westphal held this appointment only a short time. On December 1, 1942, Major General Carl-Hans Lungershausen temporarily stepped down as commander of the 164th Light Afrika Division. To his great pride, Westphal was named acting commander. He led it until December 29. Then Lungershausen returned, and Westphal himself reported ill. He never saw North Africa again. Rommel, meanwhile, had recommended him for the Knight’s Cross. He received the award on November 29, 1942.
Siegfried Westphal returned to duty on February 1, 1943. Now he was working for Luftwaffe Field Marshal Albert ‘‘Smiling Al’’ Kesselring, the commander-in-chief of OB South and Army Group C, who named him chief of operations. Kesselring was much more amiable than Rommel, and Rome was certainly a better environment in which to work than was the Sahara Desert. Also, Westphal’s promotion path in North Africa was blocked by Alfred Gause, who would be Rommel’s chief of staff until the spring of 1944. Now, working at a higher level (i.e., army group as opposed to army), Westphal had scope for advancement. He was promoted to major general on March 1, 1943.
Westphal became chief of staff of OB South on June 15, 1943. He continued in this post through the invasions of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and Italy, at Salerno and Monte Cassino, and during the Anzio landings. Finally, after a protracted struggle, the Allies broke through the German line and it was questionable whether the German 10th Army would be able to escape. It did, but Rome had to be evacuated. The city fell on June 4, 1944. The next day, Siegfried Westphal (a lieutenant general since April 1, 1944) finally suffered a physical breakdown. He collapsed and had to be evacuated back to Germany. He did not return to duty until September 9, 1944.
Westphal’s new (and last) assignment was as chief of staff of OB West, a term that referred to the commander-in-chief, West, or his headquarters. Westphal’s new boss was 68-year-old Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, who rarely left his luxurious headquarters. Westphal helped the old marshal direct the battles of the Siegfried Line, the Ardennes Offensive, and the subsequent retreat to the Rhine and was by all accounts a better chief than his predecessor, General of Infantry Guenther Blumentritt. Westphal, however, was one of the best General Staff officers in the history of the Wehrmacht. Rundstedt was certainly pleased with his chief of staff and recommended Westphal for promotion. He became a general of cavalry on February 1, 1945.
When the Americans captured the Remagen Bridge on March 6, 1945, Hitler retired Rundstedt for the fourth and final time and replaced him with Kesselring, who was more optimistic, more pro-Nazi, and more energetic than Rundstedt. There was little he could do, however. The U.S. Army encircled and destroyed Army Group B in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945, and all of Kesselring’s efforts to continue the war were doomed. Hitler committed suicide in Berlin on April 30, and Kesselring and Westphal surrendered shortly thereafter.
After the war, Westphal wrote 'Defeat in the West', which was published in 1952. He also worked for the U.S. Historical Branch in Europe and was senior author of a number of manuscripts, mainly about the Italian campaign. He lived to the age of 80, finally succumbing at Celle on July 2, 1982. He was one of the last senior generals of the Wehrmacht to pass into history.
Siegfried Westphal as an Oberleutnant in the Reichswehr, between 1927 to 1934..
Siegfried Westphal as Hauptmann.
This
photo was taken by Hugo Jaeger and it shows Wehrmacht war manoeuvre in
the Rhine region, early May 1940. This training was held just a few days
before the start of Germany's colossal invasion of the West (France and
Benelux, Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg). From left to right:
Generaloberst Georg von Küchler (Oberbefehlshaber 18. Armee), General
der Artillerie Albert Wodrig (Kommandierender General XXVI. Armeekorps),
Major im Generalstab Hanns-Horst von Necker (Ia Erster
Generalstabsoffizier 9. Panzer-Division), Major im Generalstab Siegfried
Westphal (Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier XXVI. Armeekorps), unknown,
and Generalleutnant Dr.jur. Alfred Ritter von Hubicki (Kommandeur 9.
Panzer-Division).
General
der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel (Kommandierender General Panzergruppe
"Afrika") eating some snacks accompanied by his trusted staff,
Oberstleutnant im Generalstab Siegfried Westphal (Ia Erster
Generalstabsoffizier Panzergruppe "Afrika"), and his Italian allies.
Westphal later received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 29
November 1942 as Chef des Generalstabes of deutsch-italienische
Panzer-Armee, and ended the war with the rank of General der Kavallerie.
In the background we can see a AEC Dorchester 4x4 "Mammut", captured
from the British. The vehicles were nicknamed “Mammut” (Mammoth) by the
Germans because of their tall height. This photo was taken by
Kriegsberichter Ernst Alexander Zwilling on 14 September 1941.
General
der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel (center, Befehlshaber Panzergruppe
"Afrika") is chatting with General der Flieger Hans Geisler
(Kommandierender General X. Fliegerkorps), while behind Rommel stands
Oberstleutnant im Generalstab Siegfried Westphal (Ia Panzergruppe "Afrika"). The
picture was taken in Derna, Libya, on 30 September 1941. Note the
building walls in the background that have been carefully painted in
camouflage! Other pictures from this sequence can be seen HERE.
A Wehrmacht Kriegspfarrer (War Chaplain) presides over the Protestant
burial ceremony in Tobruk for Rittmeister Ulrich Otto Hoesch (born 21 April 1899),
who was killed in combat during the Battle of Gazala on 7 October 1941.
Standing behind him are high-ranking officers of the Panzergruppe
"Afrika", from left to right: General der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel
(Befehlshaber Panzergruppe "Afrika"), Generalmajor Alfred Gause (Chef
des Generalstabes Panzergruppe "Afrika"), and Oberstleutnant im
Generalstab Siegfried Westphal (Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier
Panzergruppe "Afrika"). Everyone in this photo is wearing a tropenhelm
(tropical helmet) which was usually used by German troops on the
battlefields with tropical or hot climates such as North Africa and the
Mediterranean.
From
left to right: unknown, Oberstleutnant im Generalstab Siegfried Westphal (Ia
Panzergruppe "Afrika"), Generalmajor Alfred Gause (Chef des
Generalstabes Panzergruppe "Afrika"), General der Panzertruppe Erwin
Rommel (Befehlshaber Panzergruppe "Afrika"), and another unknown. There
is no information about when and where this picture was taken.
General
der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel (center, Befehlshaber Panzergruppe
"Afrika") with his Italian allies. At left with black glasses is his
Operations Officer (Ia), Oberstleutnant im Generalstab Siegfried
Westphal. There
is no information about when and where this picture was taken, but
possibly in 1941
General
der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel (Oberbefehlshaber Panzerarmee "Afrika")
and his Operations Officer (Ia), Oberstleutnant im Generalstab Siegfried Westphal
(foreground). The picture was taken at Agedabia in January 1942. On 21
January 1942, Rommel's Afrika Korps begins a surprise counter-offensive
at El Agheila. His troops, with new reinforcements and tanks, capture
Agedabia, then push the British north to Beda Fomm.
Three
German officers in North Africa, from left to right: Oberstleutnant im
Generalstab Siegfried Westphal (Ia Panzerarmee "Afrika"), Major im
Generalstab Friedrich-Wilhelm von Mellenthin (Ic Panzerarmee "Afrika"),
and General der Panzertruppe Ludwig Crüwell (Kommandierender General
Deutsches Afrikakorps). There is no information about when and where
this picture was taken, only between December 1941 - May 1942
Oberst im Generalstab Siegfried Westphal (Chef des Generalstabes Deutsch-Italienische Panzerarmee) after being awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 29 November 1942.
Siegfried Westphal as a Generalmajor. In his neck - apart from the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes - he is wearing Italian Ordine civile e militare dell'Aquila romana (Order of the Roman Eagle) and Ordine coloniale della Stella d'Italia (Colonial Order of the Star of Italy), while below the pocket is another Italian medal, Ordine militare di Savoia (Military Order of Savoy).
Generalmajor Siegfried Westphal (Chef des Generalstabes Oberbefehlshaber Süd) is getting into a Mercedes Benz. The picture was taken on 5 October 1943 by Kriegsberichter Engel from PK (Propaganda-Kompanie) 699. Other pictures from this sequence can be seen
HERE.
Generalfeldmarschall
Albert Kesselring (center, Oberbefehlshaber Süd) and Marshal Rodolfo
Graziani (right, Minister of National Defence of Italian Social
Republic) at a meeting held in Rome, 5 October 1943. At Kesselring's
right is Generalmajor Siegfried Westphal (Chef des Generalstabes
Oberbefehlshaber Süd). The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Vinzenz
Engel.
From
left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring (Oberbefehlshaber
Süd), Generalmajor Siegfried
Westphal (Chef des Generalstabes Oberbefehlshaber Süd), Oberst im Generalstab Fritz Wentzell
(Chef des Generalstabes 10. Armee), and Generalmajor Gustav Heisterman
von Ziehlberg (Kommandeur 65. Infanterie-Division). The picture was
taken by Kriegsberichter Dreesen during Kesselring's inspection tour
around Monte Casino, Italian Front, October-November 1943. On 27
November 1943 Generalmajor Heisterman von Ziehlberg severely wounded in
battle and lost his left arm.
Generalfeldmarschall
Albert Kesselring (Oberbefehlshaber Südwest) and Generalmajor Siegfried
Westphal (Chef des Generalstabes Oberbefehlshaber Südwest) standing
atop a Mercedes-Benz Typ 320 Cabriolet during a visit to unknown
Fallschirmjäger unit in the Italian Front, 1943-1944.
German
generals in the Italian Front. From left to right: General der
Panzertruppe Heinrich von Vietinghoff (Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee),
Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring (Oberbefehlshaber Südwest und
Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe C), General der Panzertruppe Fridolin von
Senger und Etterlin (Kommandierender General XIV. Panzerkorps),
Generalleutnant Siegfried Westphal (Chef des Generalstabes
Oberbefehlshaber Südwest), and Generalleutnant Wilhelm Raapke
(Kommandeur 71. Infanterie-Division). The picture was taken in 1943-1944
Generalfeldmarschall
Albert Kesselring (second from right, Oberbefehlshaber Südwest und
Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe C) during a conversation with General der
Panzertruppe Heinrich von Vietinghoff (left, Oberbefehlshaber 10. Armee)
on the Italian front, June 1944. German officers visible in the
background is, from left to right: Generalleutnant Siegfried Westphal
(Chef des Generalstabes Oberbefehlshaber Südwest) and Generalleutnant
Hans Röttiger (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe C). The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Otfried Schmidt.
When
they heard about the failed assassination attempt on Hitler on 20 July
1944, a large number of party and military officials visited the
Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, in order
to express their sympathy and support for the Führer. This photo shows,
front row from left to right: two unidentified staff officers,
Generalleutnant Hans Krebs (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Mitte),
Generaloberst Alfred Jodl (Chef Wehrmacht-Führungsamt), and
Generalleutnant Siegfried Westphal (Chef des Generalstabes beim
Oberbefehlshaber Südwest). In the back row between Krebs and Jodl is
General der Infanterie Walter Buhle (Chef vom Heeresstab im Oberkommando
der Wehrmacht).
German
generals during the planning for Unternehmen "Wacht am Rhein" (Watch on
the Rhein) a.k.a. the Ardennes Offensive or Battle of the Bulge. This
picture was taken on 1 December 1944, two weeks before the start of the
operation. From left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model
(Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B), Generalleutnant Siegfried Westphal
(Chef des Generalstabes Oberbefehlshaber West), Generalfeldmarschall
Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber West), and General der Infanterie
Hans Krebs (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe B). Other pictures from this sequence can be seen
HERE.
The
Wehrmacht high ranking commanders for the Western theatre of war at
Heeresgruppe B headquarters in Neuenkleusheim, Olpe, in March 1945. From
left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (Oberbefehlshaber
Heeresgruppe B); Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring
(Oberbefehlshaber West); and General der Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal
(Chef des Generalstabes Oberbefehlshaber West). Since winter is still
transitioning to spring, Model and Kesselring wore ledermantels, while
Westphal wore offiziermantel.
Generalfeldmarschall
Albert Kesselring (left), the last Commander in Chief of the German
Western Front, went into American captivity on 9 May 1945. This picture
shows Kesselring with General Jacob L. Devers (right, Commanding General
of the 6th U.S. Army Group) in the "Große Empfangshalle" (Large Entry
Hall) of "Berchtesgadener Hof" in Berchtesgaden, 10 May 1945. With him is
his Chief of Staff, General der Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal, while
the Heer officer facing the camera is Generalmajor Franz Haas (Chef des
Generalstabes des Bevollmächtigten Generals der Deutschen Wehrmacht in
Italien).
Portrait
of former German General Siegfried Westphal at the IMT Nuremberg
commission hearings investigating indicted Nazi organizations. During
the war, Westphal served as Chief of Staff to Field Marshalls Erwin
Rommel, Albert Kesselring and Gerd von Rundstedt. The picture was taken
by Gerald "Gerd" Schwab on 17 July 1946.
"Treffen
der Afrika-Kämpfer" in Düseldorf: Lucie Rommel, the widow of the
"desert fox" Erwin Rommel, drawing a ticket for the raffle - the first
prize was a Volkswagen. Standing in the background are, from left to
right: retired British General John Hackett, retired General der
Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal, and retired General der Panzertruppe
Ludwig Crüwell. Around 500 former member of DAK (Deutsches Afrikakorps)
gathered on Sunday morning, September 30, 1956, for a field service at
Gefallenen-Ehrenmal (Memorial to the Fallen) in Düsseldorf. After a
sermon by clergy from both denominations, Lucie Rommel, Siegfried
Westphal and delegations from the traditional associations laid wreaths
at the memorial. The picture was taken by Fritz Fischer. Other pictures from this sequence can be seen
HERE.
%20at%20the%20Stahlhelm%20meeting%20in%20Goslar.jpg)
Stahlhelm
meeting in Goslar, 1956. From left to right: Albert Kesselring,
Siegfried Westphal, and Hans Speidel. In 1952, while still in the
hospital, Kesselring accepted the honorary presidency of three veterans'
organisations. The first was the Luftwaffenring, consisting of
Luftwaffe veterans. The Verband deutsches Afrikakorps, the veterans'
association of the Afrika Korps, soon followed. More controversial was
the presidency of the right-wing veterans' association, Der Stahlhelm.
The leadership of this organisation tarnished his reputation. He
attempted to reform the organisation, proposing that the new German flag
be flown instead of the old Imperial Flag; that the old Stahlhelm
greeting Front heil! be abolished; and that members of the Social
Democratic Party of Germany be allowed to join. The response from the
organisation was unenthusiastic.
In
a few years after World War II, monuments were erected and
commemorations were held throughout Germany in memory of the victims of
the war. The veterans of Afrikakorps also erected a memorial to honor
"The Desert Fox" Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel in Heidenheim. The
monument was unveiled on 15 November 1961, which marks 70 years since
Rommel was born in Heidenheim. In the photo we can see Lucie Maria
Rommel, the widow, and the President of the organization of veterans of
the Afrika Korps, the ex-General der Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal.
Retired General der Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal in 1962, wearing 1957 version medals.
Retired General der Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal during an interview with the NZ RSA in 1971. The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, best known simply as the RSA, is one of the largest voluntary welfare organisations in New Zealand and one of the oldest ex-service organisations in the world. The pictures was taken by Max Oettli.
Retired Generalmajor Friedrich-Wilhelm von Mellenthin (left) and retired General der Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal, who both served under Rommel in the North Africa campaign, examining albums compiled during World War II by Mr Justice White. Photograph taken 30 April 1971 by an Evening Post staff photographer.
Seven post-war photos of Siegfried Westphal, with some of them in large format: two photos were taken in 1953 showing the reception with Mohamed Bey Naguib, President of Egypt. Other shows the meeting with an English general from the African campaign which was taken in 1978, as well as four photos of celebrations and visits to military cemeteries. These are part of Familie Westphal collection that being auctioned at
Hermann Historica.
Sterbeanzeige (Death Notice/Obituary) of Siegfried Westphal.
Some items belong to the late General der Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal: A pair of red Kragenspiegel (collar patches) with the generals' golden Larisch-Stickerei embroidery, sewn without linen insert. Also a pair of Schulterstücke (shoulder boards) made of the gold-silver-gold general braid, each with two large silver rank stars, without a cloth backing. The last one is a gold embroidered oak leaf wreath on a dark green background for the peaked cap. The items came directly from family ownership and auctioned
HERE.
1957 version medals of Siegfried Westphal, with all the swastika symbols removed.
Source :
Bundesarchiv photo archive (PERS 6/393 & PERS 6/301322)
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek photo archive
Agustin Vazquez photo collection
"General der Kavallerie Siegfried Westphal: Generalstabchef dreier Feldmarschälle Rommel, Kesselring und von Rundstedt" by Franz Kurowski
"Rommel's Desert Commanders: The Men Who Served the Desert Fox, North Africa, 1941-1942" by Samuel W. Mitcham
https://www.alamy.com/albert-kesselring-siegfried-westphal-and-hans-speidel-from-left-at-the-stahlhelm-meeting-in-goslar-image328468054.html?imageid=AE196815-265B-4FAF-A2D0-CA95C6AD19CB&p=328527&pn=1&searchId=76723af7b18d02600ff941d1cd40b6c5&searchtype=0
https://alchetron.com/Siegfried-Westphal#siegfried-westphal-1c7a2ef4-5f08-4c8f-bbbd-583ccbf8127-resize-750.jpeg
https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/siegfried-westphal_2634E71B8D
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2010/03/daftar-general-der-kavallerie-heer.html
https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1140029
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Westphal
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=98468
http://www.geocities.ws/orion47.geo/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General2/WESTPHAL_SIEGFRIED.html
https://www.hermann-historica.de/en/lotsearch?query=siegfried+westphal
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/general-siegfried-westphal-his-uniform-insignia-4208-c-96649308ef
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/39712062?search%5Bil%5D%5Bcategory%5D=Other&search%5Bil%5D%5Bprimary_collection%5D=TAPUHI&search%5Bpage%5D=998&search%5Bpath%5D=photos
https://reibert.info/media/albums/rycarskij-krest-zheleznogo-kresta-3.7765/?order=view_count&page=5
https://war-documentary.info/german-army-in-the-west/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/-1957-medals-orders-and-decorations/646561-vets-wearing-their-57ers/page263#post7378544
%20at%20the%20Stahlhelm%20meeting%20in%20Goslar.jpg)
