Bio of Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke (1920-1944)

Full name: Wilhelm Kempke
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 15.11.1920 - Lalendorf bei Güstrow, Germany
Date of Death: 19.12.1944 - southwest of Malmedy, Belgium

Battles and Operations: Assault on Fort Eben-Emael, Battle of Crete, Ardennes Offensive

NSDAP-Number: No information
SS-Number: No information
Religion: No information
Parents: No information
Siblings: No information
Spouse: No information
Chldren: No information

Promotions:
Unknown exact dates of earlier promotions.  
By May 1941: Oberjäger  
00.00.1941 Feldwebel (promoted for bravery before the enemy during the Battle of Crete)
00.00.194_ Oberfeldwebel
00.00.1943 Leutnant

Career:
Enlisted in the Luftwaffe and trained as a Fallschirmjäger. Assigned to the Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1 (later redesignated Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment).  
10.05.1940: Participated in the assault on Fort Eben-Emael as part of the glider-borne attack force and distinguished himself through exceptional bravery.  
20.05.1941: Deployed during the Battle of Crete as Gruppenführer in the 1. Kompanie of Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1. When his Zugführer became a casualty during a lightning attack against an enemy Flak battery south of Chania far behind the front lines, he took over command of the Zug. Despite tough resistance from a numerically superior foe he stormed and captured two guns of the enemy battery with his men. In the subsequent fighting of his Kompanie he continued to prove himself as a model of outstanding bravery and bravado. Promoted to Feldwebel for his actions.  
Continued frontline service with Fallschirmjäger units through subsequent campaigns.  
19.12.1944: Killed in action southwest of Malmedy during the Ardennes Offensive (shrapnel wound to the chest near Honsfeld area).

Awards and Decorations:
Fallschirmschützenabzeichen der Luftwaffe
Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (21 August 1941) as Oberjäger and Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment. The award was bestowed specifically for his outstanding leadership and bravery during the Battle of Crete in May 1941, with particular emphasis on a daring assault against an enemy anti-aircraft (Flak) battery south of Chania. Contemporary wartime press accounts and the official award rationale also highlighted his earlier distinguished performance in the glider-borne assault on Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium on 10 May 1940. Below are vivid, source-based reconstructions of these key actions, drawn directly from the 1941 press citation that accompanied his Ritterkreuz recommendation and from unit context in the Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1 (later redesignated Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment).
Actions at Fort Eben-Emael, 10 May 1940 (Distinguished Bravery Noted as Precursor to Ritterkreuz)
As an Oberjäger in the elite glider assault force of Sturmabteilung Koch (part of Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1), Kempke took part in one of the most audacious special operations of the entire war: the silent, glider-borne coup de main against the supposedly impregnable Belgian fortress of Fort Eben-Emael, which guarded the vital Albert Canal crossings and blocked the German advance into Belgium and the Low Countries.
In the pre-dawn darkness, DFS 230 gliders were released from towed Junkers Ju 52s and silently crash-landed directly atop the fortress’s massive concrete casemates and gun emplacements. The Fallschirmjäger emerged like ghosts from the mist, armed with hollow-charge explosives, machine guns, and flamethrowers. Explosions rocked the fortress as shaped charges blasted open armored cupolas and gun positions in thunderous bursts of flame and smoke. Belgian defenders, stunned by the surprise, poured out machine-gun fire and grenades from slit trenches and observation posts.
Kempke distinguished himself through exceptional personal bravery amid the chaotic close-quarters fighting. Under intense defensive fire from the Belgian garrison, he and his comrades methodically neutralized key defensive positions, clearing casemates and preventing counterattacks that could have trapped the small assault groups. The operation succeeded in just hours, opening the path for the German 6th Army. Though specific details of his individual deeds that day remain unrecorded in surviving accounts, the wartime citation explicitly states that “Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempe had already distinguished himself through exceptional bravery during the operation to take Eben Emael.” This early feat marked him as a rising combat leader and earned him recognition within the elite paratrooper fraternity.
Actions During the Battle of Crete, 20 May 1941 (Direct Reason for the Ritterkreuz)
The award citation centers on Kempke’s heroism during the second day of Operation Merkur, the airborne invasion of Crete. The Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1 had been dropped or glider-landed in the Chania sector as part of the desperate fighting to seize the town and its harbor after the costly parachute drops on 20 May. Heavy British, Commonwealth, and Greek resistance had turned the hills and olive groves south of Chania into a killing ground of machine-gun nests, mortars, and well-sited anti-aircraft batteries that were being used in a ground-fire role.
Kempke, then still an Oberjäger serving as Gruppenführer in the 1. Kompanie, was part of a small, aggressive “lightning attack” (Blitzangriff) thrust deep behind enemy lines against a heavily defended British Flak battery positioned south of Chania. The objective was to silence the guns that were hammering German air support and ground columns. The patrol advanced rapidly through rugged terrain under cover of darkness and morning mist, moving far ahead of the main German lines into territory still firmly held by numerically superior Allied forces.
When the Zugführer (platoon leader) was suddenly killed or severely wounded in the opening exchange of fire, the young Oberjäger Kempke instantly assumed command of the entire Zug without hesitation. Under his leadership, the paratroopers launched a ferocious assault straight into the teeth of the enemy position. Despite being heavily outnumbered and facing concentrated small-arms fire, grenades, and the very anti-aircraft guns now turned against them at point-blank range, Kempke personally led the storming party. His men charged through a hail of bullets, overran the perimeter, and captured two of the enemy guns in savage hand-to-hand combat. The citation describes how they “stormed two guns of the enemy battery despite tough resistance by a much superior foe.”
Even after securing the immediate objective, Kempke continued to inspire his Kompanie through the subsequent hours of bitter fighting around Chania. He repeatedly demonstrated “outstanding bravery and bravado,” rallying his men, leading further attacks, and holding captured ground against counterattacks. His actions helped neutralize a key defensive strongpoint that had been pinning down German forces. For this combination of decisive leadership under fire, personal courage, and tactical success far behind enemy lines, he was immediately promoted to Feldwebel on the battlefield and recommended for the Ritterkreuz. The award was formally presented on 21 August 1941.

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Wilhelm Kempke was a German paratrooper who served as a Feldwebel in the Luftwaffe during the Second World War and became one of the early recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross among the elite Fallschirmjäger forces. Born on 15 November 1920 in Lalendorf near Güstrow in northern Germany he enlisted in the newly formed airborne troops in 1938 and quickly distinguished himself through aggressive leadership and personal courage in high-risk special operations. Assigned to the Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1 later redesignated as the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment within the 7th Flieger Division Kempke participated in some of the most daring glider and parachute assaults of the early war years. His combat record culminated in the award of the Knight's Cross on 21 August 1941 for extraordinary bravery during the invasion of Crete though he continued frontline service with paratrooper units until his death in action on 19 December 1944 southwest of Malmedy in Belgium during the Ardennes Offensive.

Kempke's military career began in the pre-war buildup of Germany's airborne arm when the Fallschirmjäger were still an experimental force trained for surprise attacks behind enemy lines. Joining at the age of seventeen he underwent rigorous training in gliding jumps and close-quarters combat tactics that emphasized speed initiative and the use of specialized demolition charges. By 1940 he had been selected for the elite Sturmabteilung Koch the handpicked glider assault detachment commanded by Hauptmann Walter Koch. This unit was tasked with the most sensitive missions requiring silent insertion and immediate neutralization of fortified positions. Kempke's early reputation as a reliable Gruppenführer stemmed from his calm demeanor under fire and his ability to motivate small teams in chaotic environments where traditional command structures often broke down.

On 10 May 1940 Kempke took part in the legendary glider-borne assault on Fort Eben-Emael the massive Belgian fortress guarding the Albert Canal crossings and blocking the path of the German Sixth Army into the Low Countries. Released from towing aircraft in the predawn darkness eleven DFS 230 gliders crash-landed directly onto the fortress roof in a operation of unprecedented audacity. Emerging amid smoke and explosions the paratroopers used hollow-charge explosives to blast open armored cupolas and gun emplacements while Belgian defenders responded with machine-gun fire and grenades from slit trenches. Kempke fought in the thick of the close-quarters battle clearing casemates and repelling counterattacks that threatened to isolate the small assault groups. Although specific details of his individual actions that day were not separately recorded the official wartime citation later highlighted his exceptional bravery during the Eben-Emael operation as a foundational achievement that marked him for higher recognition.

The pinnacle of Kempke's combat career came during the second day of Operation Merkur the German airborne invasion of Crete on 20 May 1941. Serving as Gruppenführer in the 1st Company of the Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1 he was part of a lightning patrol thrust deep behind British lines south of Chania to silence an anti-aircraft battery that was pounding German air support and ground columns. Advancing through rugged olive groves and hills under cover of mist the small force encountered numerically superior Allied troops entrenched with machine guns mortars and the very Flak guns now turned in a ground-fire role. When the Zugführer was suddenly killed or wounded in the opening fusillade the young Oberjäger Kempke instantly assumed command without hesitation. Rallying his men he led a ferocious charge straight into the enemy perimeter overrunning the position in savage hand-to-hand fighting and capturing two of the guns despite intense resistance. His continued leadership in the subsequent hours of bitter combat around Chania exemplified the aggressive initiative that defined the early Fallschirmjäger ethos and directly earned him an immediate battlefield promotion to Feldwebel along with the Knight's Cross.

Following the costly victory on Crete Kempke remained with the paratrooper regiments through the shifting theaters of the war as the Fallschirmjäger transitioned from offensive airborne operations to elite infantry roles in defensive campaigns across the Mediterranean and later the Western Front. The heavy losses sustained in Crete and subsequent actions in North Africa and Italy thinned the ranks of the original Sturm-Regiment veterans yet Kempke's experience as a seasoned Gruppenführer made him a valued instructor and combat leader for younger replacements. He continued to serve in various Fallschirmjäger formations maintaining the unit's reputation for tenacity even as the strategic situation deteriorated. By late 1944 with Allied forces pressing into the Ardennes he was once again committed to a major German counteroffensive where airborne and mechanized units were thrown into desperate holding actions and spoiling attacks.

On 19 December 1944 during the opening phases of the Ardennes Offensive Kempke was killed in action southwest of Malmedy in Belgium most likely from shrapnel wounds sustained near the Honsfeld area while his unit engaged American forces in intense winter fighting. His death at the age of twenty-four came just over three years after receiving the Knight's Cross and underscored the high attrition rate among the veteran Fallschirmjäger who had survived the early spectacular successes only to fall in the war's final convulsive battles. Though detailed postwar accounts of his later service remain sparse his name endures in lists of Knight's Cross recipients of the Fallschirmjäger as a symbol of the elite paratrooper spirit that combined audacious tactics with unyielding personal courage from the glider assaults of 1940 to the bitter defensive struggles of 1944.

On 21 August 1941, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, personally presented the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross) to six outstanding officers and men of the Fallschirmjäger (German paratroopers) at his headquarters. The recipients—Oberst Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke, Oberstabsarzt Dr. med. Heinrich Neumann, Oberst Hans Kroh, Oberleutnant Heinrich Welskop, Leutnant Erich Schuster, and Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke—were honored for their extraordinary bravery, leadership, and sacrifice during the Battle of Crete (Operation Merkur) in May 1941. Other pictures from this award ceremony can be seen HERE.



Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring congratulates Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment) for his newly awarded Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes.



Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2), Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), and Feldwebel Erich Schuster (Gruppenführer in 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment).

Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke.

This photo measures 181 x 129mm and shows Wehrmacht members applauding as Adolf Hitler delivers a speech at the inauguration of the Kriegswinterhilfswerk 1942/43 (War Winter Relief 1942/43), 30 September 1942. All representatives from the Wehrmacht branches were present, including some of its Ritterkreuz recipients who happened to be on leave from the front lines. In this photo, we can at least see two of them: On the left is SS-Sturmbannführer Karl Schlamelcher (Ritterkreuz on 1 March 1942 as SS-Sturmbannführer and Führer of III.Abteilung / SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5 / SS-Division [motorized] "Wiking"), and in the middle is Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (Ritterkreuz on 21 August 1941 as Feldwebel and Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment / 7.Flieger-Division).

This picture was taken in 1943. Possibly Wilhelm kempke at left.



Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow). Other pictures from this occasion can be seen HERE.

Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29879&p=2427295&hilit=kempke#p2427295
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/
https://www.ww2.dk/lwoffz.html

Karl Schlamelcher and Wilhelm Kempke

This photo measures 181 x 129mm and shows Wehrmacht members applauding as Adolf Hitler delivers a speech at the inauguration of the Kriegswinterhilfswerk 1942/43 (War Winter Relief 1942/43), 30 September 1942. All representatives from the Wehrmacht branches were present, including some of its Ritterkreuz recipients who happened to be on leave from the front lines. In this photo, we can at least see two of them: On the left is SS-Sturmbannführer Karl Schlamelcher (Ritterkreuz on 1 March 1942 as SS-Sturmbannführer and Führer of III.Abteilung / SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5 / SS-Division [motorized] "Wiking"), and in the middle is Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (Ritterkreuz on 21 August 1941 as Feldwebel and Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment / 7.Flieger-Division).

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2017/11/winterhilfswerk.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29879&p=2427295&hilit=kempke#p2427295

The Death of Fallschirmjäger Walter Koch (1943)

On 23 October 1943, Oberstleutnant Walter Koch, one of the most celebrated commanders of the German Fallschirmjäger, died at the age of thirty-three in a Berlin hospital from injuries sustained in a road accident while convalescing from earlier wounds received in combat. Koch had risen rapidly through the ranks of the Luftwaffe’s airborne forces, earning the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for his audacious leadership of the glider-borne assault on Fort Eben-Emael and the Albert Canal bridges during the 1940 invasion of Belgium. By 1941 he commanded the first battalion of the Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment during the airborne invasion of Crete, where he was wounded in the head while fighting for Hill 107 near Maleme airfield. Promoted to Oberstleutnant in April 1942, he took command of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 and led it into the Tunisian campaign in late 1942. There, in the fighting around Depienne airfield, his troops captured British paratroopers of the 2nd Parachute Battalion. Koch personally intervened to prevent their summary execution under Hitler’s infamous Commando Order, ordering medics to treat the wounded prisoners, providing them with food, water, and cigarettes, and ensuring they were sent to a prisoner-of-war camp rather than shot. His open criticism of the order, combined with his refusal to carry it out, reportedly led to his placement in the Führerreserve upon his return to Germany.

While recovering from a head wound—accounts differ on whether it stemmed from the earlier Crete fighting or from a subsequent incident during the Tunisian operations—Koch was involved in a motor-vehicle collision. He was rushed to a hospital in Berlin, where, despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries on 23 October 1943. Official reports described the death as the result of the traffic accident, yet within his regiment the circumstances quickly became the subject of suspicion. Many of his men believed the “accident” was staged by the SS-Reichssicherheitshauptamt as retribution for his outspoken denunciation of the Commando Order and his defiance of Hitler’s directives. No formal investigation ever confirmed foul play, and the precise details of the collision were never publicly clarified, leaving the episode shrouded in the wartime atmosphere of paranoia and reprisal that marked the later years of the Nazi regime. Some contemporary accounts even suggested the injuries may have originated from a plane crash in Tunisia, but the predominant narrative, supported by postwar historical research, centers on the car accident during his convalescence.

Details of Koch’s funeral itself remain sparse in surviving records, as was often the case for officers who died under ambiguous circumstances amid the escalating pressures of total war. No large-scale public ceremony or detailed contemporary press accounts have been preserved, likely because the regime preferred to avoid drawing attention to internal dissent or the suspicious deaths of decorated heroes. What is known is that his body was transported from Berlin to his hometown of Bonn, where he was laid to rest with military honors befitting a Knight’s Cross recipient and a pioneer of airborne warfare. He was interred at the Nordfriedhof (North Cemetery) in Bonn, in the designated war-graves section, specifically Section 16, Graves 7/8. The grave was later shared with his wife Marie (sometimes referred to in records as Berta Koch-Bucholz, whom he had married in 1937), who survived him by nearly three decades and was buried beside him upon her death on 14 November 1972 at the age of eighty-seven. Nearby in the same war-graves area lies the grave of General der Infanterie Kurt Kühme. Postwar, the site became a quiet place of remembrance; one documented gesture came from a former Allied opponent—referred to in some accounts simply as “Beachy”—who, years after the conflict, arranged for remembrance crosses to be placed on Koch’s grave as a mark of respect between former adversaries.

Koch’s death marked the end of a remarkable but tragically brief career that had helped define the early successes and brutal realities of German airborne operations. From the daring glider assaults of 1940 to the desperate fighting in North Africa, he embodied the aggressive spirit of the Fallschirmjäger while also demonstrating a measure of humanity that set him apart from the regime he served. The lingering questions surrounding his final days—whether accident or assassination—have ensured that his story continues to intrigue historians and veterans alike, even as his final resting place in Bonn remains a modest testament to a soldier whose life was cut short in the shadow of suspicion and secrecy.

Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. A former member of Sonderverband 288 is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).



Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

Walter Koch's funeral in October 1943. Ritterkreuzträger Leutnant Wilhelm Kempke is holding the ordenskissen (medal pillow).

Source:  
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/koch-walter/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Koch_(paratrooper)
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/23975/Koch-Walter.htm
https://tellthemofus.uk/oberstleutnant-walter-koch-kommandeur-fllschirmjaeger-regiment-5.  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/order-of-battle-and-individual-research-forum/14174987-whose-medals-are-these
Quarrie, Bruce. *German Airborne Troops 1939–45*. Osprey Publishing, 1983 (cited in relation to Koch’s career and death circumstances)
Quarrie, Bruce. *Fallschirmjäger: German Paratrooper 1935–45*. Osprey Warrior Series 38, Osprey Publishing, 2001
Kurowski, Franz. *Deutsche Fallschirmjäger 1939–1945* (various editions; referenced in secondary sources discussing Koch’s North African actions and subsequent fate)

Ritterkreuz Award Ceremony for Crete Fallschirmjäger with Hermann Göring (1941)

On 21 August 1941, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, personally presented the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross) to six outstanding officers and men of the Fallschirmjäger (German paratroopers) at his headquarters. The recipients—Oberst Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke, Oberstabsarzt Dr. med. Heinrich Neumann, Oberst Hans Kroh, Oberleutnant Heinrich Welskop, Leutnant Erich Schuster, and Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke—were honored for their extraordinary bravery, leadership, and sacrifice during the Battle of Crete (Operation Merkur) in May 1941.

This ceremony, captured in the propaganda newsreel 'Die Deutsche Wochenschau' No. 585 (released 20 November 1941), symbolized the high regard the Nazi leadership held for the airborne troops who had just executed the largest airborne assault in history up to that point. Göring, himself a decorated World War I pilot and a key architect of the Luftwaffe’s airborne forces, conducted the awards in a formal but intimate setting at his headquarters, underscoring the personal connection between the Reichsmarschall and his “green devils.”

The awards directly stemmed from Operation Merkur, launched on 20 May 1941. The 7. Flieger-Division and attached units, including the Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment under Ramcke’s overall influence, were tasked with seizing the island from British, Australian, New Zealand, and Greek defenders. The operation was a Pyrrhic victory: German forces prevailed, but at a staggering cost—over 6,000 casualties, including nearly 2,000 dead, mostly among the elite paratroopers who jumped into intense anti-aircraft fire and fierce ground resistance.

The Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment (also known as Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1) played a pivotal role in assaults on key objectives like Maleme airfield and the prison valley near Rethymno and Heraklion. Their success came through aggressive close-quarters combat, improvised tactics, and sheer determination despite heavy losses and disrupted supply lines. Hitler and Göring viewed the operation as proof of the airborne arm’s value, even as it marked the end of large-scale German parachute operations for the rest of the war. The six men honored on 21 August represented the cream of this elite force.

The Recipients and Their Deeds

1.Generalmajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (then Oberst and Kommandeur Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment): Already a veteran of earlier airborne actions, Ramcke led elements of the regiment with iron resolve. His leadership during the Crete fighting earned him the Knight’s Cross on this date (he would later receive the Oak Leaves in November 1942, Swords and Diamonds in September 1944). Ramcke’s calm command under fire helped turn the tide at critical moments.

2.Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment): As the regimental physician, Neumann performed heroic medical work under combat conditions, treating wounded paratroopers while exposed to enemy fire. His devotion to the troops exemplified the Fallschirmjäger spirit of “comradeship above all.”

3.Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2, attached to the Sturm-Regiment): Kroh distinguished himself leading assaults on the airfield at Rethymno. His battalion’s determined fighting despite heavy casualties was instrumental in securing objectives.

4.Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Welskop (Zugführer in 11.Kompanie / III.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3). After the jump Welskop had taken his men and captured an important height at Chania, which was lodged deep in the Allied defense scheme. He was able to hold this position against Allied counterattacks, which had to be repelled in bitter close combat.

5.Feldwebel Erich Schuster (Gruppenführer in 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment). His Zugführer, Feldwebel Arpke, was badly wounded when their glider landed and so Schuster took over the II. Zug of his Kompanie. He and his Zug then proceeded to eliminate an anti-aircraft battery and capture the western end of the Maleme airfield.

6.Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (then Oberjäger and Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment). When his Zugführer became a casualty, Kempke took over the leadership of his Zug, and with his men he stormed two guns of the enemy battery despite tough resistance by a much superior foe. During the later battles of his Kompanie he again proved to be a model of outstanding bravery and bravado. 

All six had fought in the intense battles around Maleme, Rethymno, and the prison valley, where the paratroopers often jumped without heavy weapons and relied on captured British arms.

The Ceremony: 21 August 1941 at Göring’s Headquarters

The presentation occurred exactly three months after the Crete landings, allowing time for the men to be withdrawn, decorated where possible in the field, and brought together for the formal award. Newsreel footage shows Göring, in his distinctive white summer uniform, awarded the Ritterkreuz case to each recipients. He shook hands, exchanged words, and occasionally patted shoulders—a gesture of paternal approval from the “father” of the Luftwaffe.

The setting was Göring’s personal headquarters in Breitenheide, East Prussia, far from the dusty battlefields of Crete. The event was deliberately staged for propaganda value: it highlighted German airborne supremacy while the Eastern Front campaign was still in its optimistic early phase. The six men stood in parade formation, freshly uniformed, with their new decorations gleaming. The ceremony was brief but solemn, followed by the traditional handshakes and words of praise from Göring.

Footage from the ceremony appears at the end of contemporary videos of Crete veterans’ awards and forms a highlight of *Die Deutsche Wochenschau* No. 585, where the narrator extols the “outstanding bravery” of these Luftwaffe soldiers.

Significance and Legacy

This group award was one of the largest single presentations of Knight’s Crosses to Fallschirmjäger in 1941 and underscored the prestige of the Crete veterans. Ramcke went on to command the famous Ramcke Parachute Brigade in North Africa and later defended Brest in 1944, earning the highest grades of the award. Kroh rose to divisional command. The others continued serving in elite units, many later fighting in Russia, Italy, and Normandy.

The ceremony captured a moment of triumph for the Fallschirmjäger before the realities of total war eroded their elite status. Today, these awards are studied by historians as exemplars of the Nazi regime’s use of military decorations for propaganda, while the recipients’ courage—however controversial the cause—remains part of the documented history of airborne warfare.

The 21 August 1941 event stands as a poignant snapshot of the early-war Luftwaffe at its peak: elite troops, personal leadership from Göring, and the Ritterkreuz as the ultimate symbol of valor in the eyes of the Third Reich.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. The medal was handed over by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), near his private train (Sonderzug) named "Asien". Behind Göring stands General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student (Kommandierender General XI. Fliegerkorps), while the two individuals with their backs to the camera are two of the three recipients of the Ritterkreuz that day, and they are (from left to right): Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2) and Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment).

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: General der Flieger Gustav Kastner-Kirdorf (Chef des Luftwaffen-Personalamts), Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student (Kommandierender General XI. Fliegerkorps), Generalmajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (Kommandeur der Ergänzungseinheiten und Schulen des XI. Fliegerkorps), Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), and Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2).

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring congratulates Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment) for his newly awarded Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Generalmajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (Kommandeur der Ergänzungseinheiten und Schulen des XI. Fliegerkorps) and General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student (Kommandierender General XI. Fliegerkorps). In the background is Hermann Göring's personal train (sonderzug), "Asien". It was an armored special train that served as a mobile headquarters and luxurious transport for the Reichsmarschall. Some sources also refer to it as "Pommern" in certain contexts.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Generalmajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (Kommandeur der Ergänzungseinheiten und Schulen des XI. Fliegerkorps), General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student (Kommandierender General XI. Fliegerkorps), Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), and Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2).



Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Feldwebel Erich Schuster (Gruppenführer in 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), Oberstabsarzt Dr.med. Heinrich Neumann (Regimentsarzt Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), and Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2).

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the six "Fallschirmjäger Heroes of Crete", 21 August 1941. From left to right: Major Hans Kroh (Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2), Feldwebel Wilhelm Kempke (Gruppenführer in 1.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment), and Feldwebel Erich Schuster (Gruppenführer in 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Fallschirmjäger-Sturm-Regiment).

Source :
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?yearfrom=&yearto=&query=ramcke&page=1#
https://menofwehrmacht.blogspot.com/2026/02/die-deutsche-wochenschau-german-weekly_16.html