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Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Bio of Oberstleutnant Reinhard Egger (1905-1987)

Reinhard Karl Egger

Date of Birth: 11.12.1905 - Klagenfurt, Kärnten (Austria-Hungary)
Date of Death: 10.06.1987 - Seeboden, Kärnten (Austria)

Campaigns: Poland, France, Crete, Leningrad, Italy, Monte Cassino

Promotions:
01.01.1939 Leutnant
25.10.1940 Oberleutnant
01.10.1941 Hauptmann
01.04.1942 Major
01.05.1944 Oberstleutnant

Career:
18.04.1929 joined the Carinthian Alpenjäger Regiment 11 of Austrian Army
00.09.1937 Offizieranwärter in Kriegsakademie Wiener-Neustadt
14.03.1938 joined the Wehrmacht after Anschluss as Feldwebel
00.00.1938 Zugführer in Infanterie-Regiment 91
00.10.1938 joined the Fallschirm-Bataillon/Regiment "General Göring“ of the Luftwaffe
00.00.1939 training in Luftkriegsschule 2
18.06.1940 volunteered to the Fallschirmtruppe and posted in 10.Kompanie / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1
00.04.1942 Führer I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4
00.07.1942 Adjutant Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1
00.01.1943 wounded in the Velikiye Luki area
00.00.1943 Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4
00.00.1944 Führer Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4
31.07.1944 taken prisoner by the British in the Apennines, where he was initially listed as missing

Awards and Decorations:
00.00.193_ Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV.Klasse (4 jahre)
00.00.193_ Fallschirmschützenabzeichen der Luftwaffe
01.10.1939 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
19.12.1939 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
09.07.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #241, as Oberleutnant and Chef 10.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 / 7.Flieger-Division. Awarded for distinguishing himself with his Kompanie against far numerically superior enemy forces during the eight-day battle for Heraklion.
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42“ (Ostmedaille)
00.00.194_ Ärmelband "Kreta“
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
24.02.1944 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 34/309
24.06.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #510, as Oberstleutnant and Führer Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4 / 1.Fallschirmjäger-Division. Awarded for distinguishing himself during the fighting in Russia, Sicily and Monte Cassino.

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Reinhard Egger was born on December 11, 1905 in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee and joined the Carinthian Alpenjäger Regiment 11 (from the Mountain Rifle Regiment No. 1) on April 18, 1929. In September 1937 he was posted to the War Academy in Wiener-Neustadt as an officer candidate.

After Austria joined the Reich, he joined the German army on March 14, 1938 as a sergeant and was promoted to lieutenant on January 1, 1939 in the 91st Infantry Regiment. According to other sources he joined the parachute battalion/regiment "General Göring" of the Luftwaffe after entering, was commanded to the Air War School 2 and then promoted to lieutenant.

After the campaign in Poland and the west, he volunteered for the paratroops on June 18, 1940 and was transferred to the 10th company of the 1st Parachute Regiment. On October 25, 1940 he was promoted to Oberleutnant. On May 20, 1941 he left the company "Merkur" as a company commander at Heraklion. After eight days of fighting for the city, he was able to storm it with his men, where he distinguished himself several times. On July 9, 1941, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Promoted to captain on October 1, 1941, he fought with his company on the eastern front near Leningrad. On April 1, 1942, he was promoted to major and appointed commander of the 1st Battalion/4th Parachute Regiment. In July 1942 he became an adjutant on the staff of the 1st Parachute Regiment. In January 1943 he was wounded in the Velikiye Luki area. After his recovery, he was then officially appointed commander of the 1st Battalion/4th Parachute Regiment.

From July 1943 he fought in Italy, where he was awarded the German Cross in Gold during the Battle of Monte Cassino on February 24, 1944. Promoted to lieutenant colonel on May 1, 1944, he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on June 24, 1944 as leader of the Fallschirmjäger Regiment 4. On July 31, 1944, he was taken prisoner by the Allies (British) in the Apennines,[4] where he was initially listed as missing.

colonel i R. Reinhard Egger died at the age of 81 on June 10, 1987 in Seeboden am Millstätter See, Carinthia.

Major Reinhard Egger (left, Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4) distributing attack orders to his men in the Italian Front, August 1943. He is wearing a tropenmütze M41 without grommets. In the background is a Sturmgeschütz 40 Ausf.G self-propelled gun, belong to Hermann Göring Division. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Heggert during the Battle of Sicily, precisely in front of Villa Barone Santa Lucia at the end of Corso Savoia, where the road deviates to the right towards Santa Maria Ammalati (the Germans had a field hospital there) and then towards Messina.



Major Reinhard Egger (right, Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4) listening to the explanation by a StuG commander in the Italian Front, August 1943. The StuG is a Sturmgeschütz 40 Ausf.G self-propelled gun, belong to Hermann Göring Division. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Heggert during the Battle of Sicily, precisely in front of Villa Barone Santa Lucia at the end of Corso Savoia, where the road deviates to the right towards Santa Maria Ammalati (the Germans had a field hospital there) and then towards Messina.


Wartime press photo of Major Reinhard Egger (right, Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4) with his adjutant, who is holding a MP 40. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Heggert during the Battle of Sicily, precisely in front of Villa Barone Santa Lucia at the end of Corso Savoia, where the road deviates to the right towards Santa Maria Ammalati (the Germans had a field hospital there) and then towards Messina.



Wartime press photo of Major Reinhard Egger (right, Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4) with his adjutant, who is holding a MP 40. The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Heggert during the Battle of Sicily, precisely in front of Villa Barone Santa Lucia at the end of Corso Savoia, where the road deviates to the right towards Santa Maria Ammalati (the Germans had a field hospital there) and then towards Messina.



"Major Egger" on the cover of 'Wiener Illustrierte' Nr.49, 12 August 1943.



Major Reinhard Egger.



Oberstleutnant Reinhard Egger.


Source :
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-567-1510-33,_Italien,_Fallschirmj%C3%A4ger,_Major_Reinhard_Egger.jpg
https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Egger,_Reinhard
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Egger_%28Offizier%29
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=9830&p=327769&hilit=egger#p327769
https://копанина.рф/publ/1/38_40_pistolet_pulemet/8-1-0-806
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/E/EggerR.htm
https://ww2.dk/Lw%20Offz%20%20-%20A-F%20Apr%202020%20.pdf

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