Friedrich Buck

Friedrich Buck
Born	30 January 1922 Romania
Died	25 September 2015 (aged 93)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1940–45
Rank	Oberscharführer
Unit	SS-VT 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class Close Combat Clasp in Gold Eastern Front Medal

Friedrich Buck (30 January 1922 – 25 September 2015) was an Oberscharführer (Staff Sergeant) in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. This was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II. He was also one of only 631 men to be awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold for 50 days hand-to-hand combat.^[1] Buck was awarded the Knight's Cross on the 27 January 1945 as commander of the 5th Squadron, 15th SS Cavalry Regiment, 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer. He died in September 2015 at the age of 93.^[2]

Awards

• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze (1944)^[3]
  • in Silver (1944)^[3]
  • in Gold (27 January 1945)^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 January 1945 as SS-Oberscharführer and leader of the 5./SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 15 "Florian Geyer"^{[4][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as leader of the 5./SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 15.^[5]

References

1. Berger 2004, p. 6.
2. http://en.ww2awards.com/person/28770
3. Berger 2004, p. 47.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 148.
5. Scherzer 2007, p. 250.

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold [Knight's Cross Bearers with the Close Combat Clasp in Gold] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-3-7.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

Further reading

• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). Retreat to the Reich : the German defeat in France, 1944. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7.
• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). The German Defeat in the East, 1944–45. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3371-7.

External links

• "Freid gmacht—Alte Kameraden von der Waffen-SS ehrten im bayrischen Sonthofen einen Kampfgefährten von einst mit dem Ritterkreuz.". Der Spiegel 22/1976 (in German). Retrieved 16 February 2013.