Bio of Major d.R. Josef Barmetler (1904-1945)

Josef Barmetler

Date of Birth: 11.03.1904 - Kempten im Allgäu, Bayern (German Empire)
Date of Death: 20.02.1945 - Kempten, Bayern (Germany)

NSDAP-Nr.:    [Unknown if he held Party membership]
SS-Nr.:    Unknown (Not listed in the SS-Dienstaltersliste of 01.12.1938)

Promotions:
01.06.1926 Oberschütze
31.09.1927 Unteroffizier-Anwärter
01.11.1927 Gefreiter
01.10.1929 Oberjäger
01.10.1931 Unterfeldwebel
01.10.1933 Feldwebel
01.05.1937 Leutnant der Reserve (with RDA from 01.03.1939)
01.01.1940 Oberleutnant der Reserve (with RDA from 01.08.1939)
25.07.1941 Hauptmann der Reserve (with RDA from 01.07.1941)
19.10.1943 SS-Hauptsturmführer
01.06.1944 Major der Reserve (with RDA from 01.06.1944)

Career:
02.04.1924 - 15.10.1935 15.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 19
16.10.1935 Feldwebel in 4.Kompanie / Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 99 in Füssen
31.05.1936 retired as Feldwebel der Reserve
00.09.1939 Zugführer in 4.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 316
01.12.1939 Führer 2.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 316
00.05.1940 Führer 2.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 316
00.06.1940 Fallschirmschule Wittstock
00.07.1940 II.Bataillon / Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1
00.08.1940 transferred to the Luftwaffe
00.09.1940 Chef 7.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1
20.05.1941 Operation Merkur, Creta - Hill 107, Galatas - severely WIA
25.07.1941 Chef 7.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1
15.10.1941 Führer Stab II.Bataillon / Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1
29.11.1941 WIA and sent to a Lazarett
09.02.1942 Fallschirm-Ergänzungs-Regiment 1 in Stendal
11.09.1942 Fallschirm-Ersatz-Bataillon Stendal
15.12.1942 Chef 5.Kompanie / Fallschirm-Ersatz-Bataillon in Stendal
10.12.1943 Stab II.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6
01.03.1944 stellvertretender Führer II.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6
01.06.1944 stellvertretender Führer II.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6
20.02.1945 DOW received in Creta

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.193_ Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht IV.Klasse (4 Jahre)
00.00.1936 Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht III.Klasse (12 Jahre)
22.06.1940 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.07.1940 Fallschirmschützenabzeichen der Luftwaffe
00.05.1941 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
18.06.1941 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
09.07.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberleutnant der Reserve and Führer 7.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment 1 / 7.Flieger-Division. The medal was awarded for his actions during the battle of Crete. On the afternoon of the 20.05.1941 he and his 7. Kompanie assaulted Hill 107 from the south and were able to capture the southern part of the hill in the evening. In the process the unit captured 100 men and 4 officers. At around 08:00 on the next day the Kompanie continued its advance to the peak of the hill from the south. The Kompanie made contact with the Kampfgruppe led by Oberstabarzt Dr. Neumann, and the artillery and AA guns on the hill were finally eliminated with the help of Kampfgruppen Gericke and Trebes. Later, on the 25.05.1941, Oberleutnant Barmetler was in the process of attacking the Galatas heights when he realized that the Gebirgsjäger on his right wing were not keeping up. Before receiving any orders from the Bataillon commander, Oberleutnant Barmetler sent in elements of his Kompanie in the direction of the Gebirgsjäger. Along with the support of heavy weapons, 7. Kompanie was able to get into the rear of the enemy. The defending 5th New Zealand Brigade was ultimately forced to give up the Galatas Heights, and with this an important precondition for the surrender of Crete was established. Oberleutnant Barmetler himself was however wounded during this decisive thrust.
00.00.1941 Ärmelband Kreta
00.00.1942 Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe

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On April 2, 1924, Josef Barmetler joined the 15th company of the 19th Infantry Regiment. He remained in this regiment until October 15, 1935, during which time he was promoted to sergeant. He was then transferred to the 4th company of the 99th Mountain Infantry Regiment in Füssen.

On May 31, 1936 he was discharged from the army as a sergeant in the reserve. As a reserve soldier he was promoted to lieutenant in the reserve in 1937. In this interwar period he became a member of the Allgemeine SS, in which he last held the rank of SS Hauptsturmfuhrer with effect from October 19, 1943.

Recruited when mobilized, Barmetler became a platoon leader in the 4th company of the 316th Infantry Regiment. On December 1, 1939, he became leader of the 2nd company. Promoted to lieutenant in the reserve on January 1, 1940, he was assigned to the Wittstock parachute school after the western campaign. After a month of basic training as a parachute soldier, he was transferred to the II. Battalion of the 1st Storm Regiment. In August 1940 he was officially transferred to the Luftwaffe and a month later he became leader of the 7th company in the 1st Airborne Assault Regiment.

During Operation "Merkur" the 7th Company conquered the dominating Hill 107. Three days later, Barmetler of his own accord supported the advance of a mountain infantry unit and thus forced the conquest of the heights of Galatas. He was wounded himself.

On July 25, 1941 he was promoted to Hauptmann der Reserve, he was on October 15, 1941 captain on the staff of the II. Battalion and temporarily also commander of the II. Battalion. Wounded again on November 29, 1941, he was transferred to the Fallschirmjäger-Zusatz-Regiment 1 in Stendal on February 9, 1942. On September 11, 1942, he was transferred to the Parachute Replacement Battalion in Stendal. On December 15, 1942 he became head of the 5th company in the Stendal Paratrooper Replacement Battalion and on December 10, 1943 he was transferred to the staff of the II Battalion of the 6th Paratrooper Regiment.

On March 1, 1944 he was put in charge of the deputy command of this battalion and on June 1, 1944 he was promoted to major in the reserve.

Major d R. Barmetler died on February 20, 1945 from the long-term effects of his wound sustained in Crete.

Hauptmann d.R. Josef Barmetler in the end of July 1941.

Josef Barmetler singing with comrades.

Josef Barmetler with his men.

Josef Barmetler with his men.



Josef Barmetler speaks in a ceremony. In his left and right are probably his parents.

Source :
Bill Petz photo collection
https://www.alamy.com/first-lieutenant-josef-barmetler-7fallschirmjaeger-sturmregiment-with-the-knights-cross-in-1941-the-date-is-the-bestowal-date-image385783778.html
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2012/03/album-foto-bermain-musik-nazi-jerman.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L19498,_Josef_Barmetler_(cropped).jpg
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Barmetler,_Josef
https://fjr3.tripod.com/id17.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2405175#p2405175
https://www.kriegstote.org/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/Kriegsopfer/details_kriegstote_aktuell&Id=23978&Eingabe_Datum=14.04.19&Name=Barmetler&Vorname=Josef