Max Wandrey (8 April 1910 - 21 February 1945) received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 9 January 1944 as Oberleutnant der Reserve and Chef 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg". The medal was awarded for his contribution to the German conquest of Leros Island in November 1943. Landing on the island on the 16th of that month, Wandrey's Kompanie commander was quickly wounded and so Wandrey stepped in to fill this role. At around 15:00 that day Wandrey stormed the dominant Hill 204 with about 50 men, and located the British HQ there. With 20 soldiers, Wandrey stormed the command post and took the British commanding officer (Brigadier Robert Tilney) as a prisoner. Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg" itself was a part of Division "Brandenburg", but subordinated temporarily to Kampfgruppe "Müller" (22. Infanterie-Division) for the invasion of Leros.
Wandrey received the Eichenlaub #787 on 16 March 1945 as Major der Reserve and Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg" / Panzergrenadier-Division “Brandenburg”. The medal was awarded posthumously for the major role he played in the breakout of Gruppe von Saucken in early 1945. Around mid-February, as commander of an inexperienced Bataillon of the Panzergrenadier-Division "Brandenburg", Wandrey led a stubborn defense east of Sprottisch-Waldau. The leadership of Saucken's moving pocket thus oriented their breakout efforts towards this point, pushing north from the Primkenauer forest and linking up with Wandrey's forces on the 11-12 February 1945. Only nine days later Wandrey was succumbed to his wound near Kruschwitz, Rothenburg/Oberlausitz.
Wandrey received the Eichenlaub #787 on 16 March 1945 as Major der Reserve and Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg" / Panzergrenadier-Division “Brandenburg”. The medal was awarded posthumously for the major role he played in the breakout of Gruppe von Saucken in early 1945. Around mid-February, as commander of an inexperienced Bataillon of the Panzergrenadier-Division "Brandenburg", Wandrey led a stubborn defense east of Sprottisch-Waldau. The leadership of Saucken's moving pocket thus oriented their breakout efforts towards this point, pushing north from the Primkenauer forest and linking up with Wandrey's forces on the 11-12 February 1945. Only nine days later Wandrey was succumbed to his wound near Kruschwitz, Rothenburg/Oberlausitz.
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Oberleutnant der Reserve Max Wandrey (Chef 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg" / Division "Brandenburg") which was held in Lamia, Greece, January 1944. General der Flieger Hellmuth Felmy (back to the camera, Kommandierender General LXVIII. Armeekorps) lead the ceremony, while Major Wilhelm Walther (Kommandeur Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg" / Division "Brandenburg") put the medal behind Wandrey.
Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Oberleutnant der Reserve Max Wandrey (Chef 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg" / Division "Brandenburg") which was held in Lamia, Greece, January 1944. General der Flieger Hellmuth Felmy (back to the camera, Kommandierender General LXVIII. Armeekorps) shakes hands with Wandrey after awarded the medal. After the war, Felmy would be accused of war crimes and tried at Nuremberg. He was sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment, but freed in 1951. He died in Darmstadt, Germany, on 14 December 1965.
Oberleutnant der Reserve Max Wandrey (Chef 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg" / Division "Brandenburg") smiles for the camera after being awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes in a ceremony which were held in Lamia, Greece, January 1944. In February 1945 Wandrey, by this time a Major, was fatally wounded. He was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz.
Source :
"Brandenburger: Wartime Photographs of Wilhelm Walther" by Anthony Rogers
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2014/03/album-foto-brandenburgers-sonderverband.html
https://www.andreas-thies.de/auctions/67-750747
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/20271/Wandrey-Max-Brandenburg.htm
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