Erich
Marcks was born on June 6, 1891 in Berlin. He is the son of the
historian Erich Marcks. In 1909 he studied philosophy in Freiburg. But
after only three semesters, he began his career in the army in October
1910. Twenty years later, in the early 1930s, he became the
communications officer of the Ministry of the Armed Forces before
working directly for Chancellors Franz von Papen and Kurt von
Schleicher.
Marcks fought in World War I. He completed General
Staff Training and was transferred to the Imperial General Staff Corps
in 1917. Marcks was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and then 1st Class,
and posted to the German Supreme Command. After the war, Marcks fought
with the paramilitary Freikorps. He joined the Army of the German
Republic (Reichsheer); between 1921 and 1933, he held several staff and
command positions, and then served in the Ministry of Defense. On 1
April 1933, after Hitler came to power, Marcks was transferred to the
army, serving as Chief of Staff of VIII Corps.
During the
campaign of France in 1940, he worked on the staff of the 18th Army (it
was during this period that Erich Marcks opposed the bombing of the city
of Bruges and the destruction of the bridges of Paris, believing that
even in time of war the historical monuments must be preserved) and then
work on the invasion plans of the Soviet Union.
During Operation
Barbarossa, he commanded the 101st Light Division and was severely
injured in Ukraine on June 26, 1941, which cost him the amputation of
one of his legs. In addition, two of his three sons are killed on the
Russian front.
Before taking command of the 84th Army Corps in
Normandy in 1944, he successively headed the 337th Infantry Division in
Paris, the 66th Corps at Clermont-Ferrand and the 87th Corps at north of
Brittany. Unlike most general officers, Erich Marcks believes in the
possibility of landing in Normandy.
On June 6, 1944 he celebrated
his fifty-third birthday, a date which also turns out to be D-Day for
the Allied offensive in Normandy. After the start of the Overlord
operation, he was one of the first German general officers to react
without delay by launching a counter-attack on D-Day, but that breaks
with the Americans.
During an inspection on the front June 12,
1944, an Allied air attack forced him to abandon his car near Hebecrevon
(northwest of Saint-Lo). Nevertheless, he is seriously injured in the
groin by a 20-mm shell that cuts off the femoral artery: transported by
his driver in a ditch, he empties his blood and dies at 9:45.
In the film The Longest Day, Marcks is played by Richard Münch. In the TV Movie Rommel, he is played by Hans Kremer.
Decorations & Awards:
24.06.1944
Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (503,) as General der
Artillerie and Kom.Gen. LXXXIV.Armee-Korps / 7.Armee / Heeresgruppe B
(D) / OB West
26.06.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes: as
Generalleutnant, Kdr. 101.leichten Infanterie-Division / LII.Armee-Korps
/ 17.Armee / Heeresgruppe Süd
29.09.1939 1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
21.09.1939 1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
00.08.1915 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
25.09.1914 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
00.00.191_ Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
ca. 1941 Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Gold
ca. 1918 Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
13.06.1944 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
ca. 1934 Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
00.00.193_ Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnungen
Source :
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/m064km4b?hl=en
https://www.dday-overlord.com/en/battle-of-normandy/biographies/germany/erich-marcks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Marcks
https://www.oocities.org/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/HEER/General2/MARCKS_ERICH.html
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