Gerhard Bremer

Gerhard Bremer
Born 25 July 1917[1]
Düsterntal, Gandersheim district (dissolved 1974), Germany[1]
Died 29 October 1989 (1989-10-30) (aged 72)
Denia, Alicante, Spain
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Waffen SS
Years of service 1933–45
Rank Sturmbannführer
Unit Germania
1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
12th SS Panzer Division
Commands held 10th Company LSSAH
1st Motor Cycle Company LSSAH
12th SS Reconnaissance Battalion
III./26th Panzer Grenadier Regiment
12th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
German Cross in Gold
Iron Cross 1st Class
Iron Cross 2nd Class
German Cross in Gold
Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze
Winter War Medal 1941/42
Wound Badge in Silver

Gerhard Bremer was a Sturmbannführer (Storm Unit Leader/Major) in the Waffen SS who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. This was awarded for extreme bravery or personal leadership by Nazi Germany.

Early life

Bremer joined the SS at age nineteen (SS number 310405) and he was first assigned to the 3rd Battalion, Germania Regiment.[1]

In 1937 he was the commander of the SS officer school at Bad Tolz[1] and in 1938 transferred to the LSSAH (Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler), and took command of the 10th Company.[1][2]

World War II

He served in the Polish Campaign, the Battle of France and the Balkans.[2] For his service in the Polish and Western campaigns he was awarded the Iron Cross both first and second class.[2] After the end of the Balkan campaign Bremer was promoted to Obersturmführer (Senior Storm Leader/First Lieutenant) and was given command of the 1st Motor Cycle Company of the Reconnaissance Battalion.[1] He was awarded the Knight's Cross in the early days of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.[2] He stayed with the LSSAH until June 1943 when he was given the command of the 3rd Battalion of the 26th Panzer Grenadier Regiment in the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend.[1] In April 1944, he became the commander of the 12th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion, in Belgium which covered the Division's left flank during the Normandy Invasion on the outskirts of Caen.[1]

During the Normandy Invasion and the fighting against The Royal Winnipeg Rifles at Putot-en-Bessin, Bremer was reported to have taken part in the execution of 12 Canadian Prisoners.[3] He was trapped with his Battalion in the Falaise Gap but was finally able to withdraw to the Maas, covering the retreat of the 5th Panzer Army for which he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross.[1]

He was next involved in the Ardennes Offensive and Operation Spring Awakening in Hungary in 1945 and ended the war in the area of St Poelten.[1]

Post war

He was held as a prisoner of war by the French Government from July 1948 to 1954, when he was released he moved to Denia in Spain with his wife Almut and his son Gerd. Bremer died on 29 October 1989 in Alicante, Spain.[1]

Awards

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "668. Eichenlaubträger Gerhard Bremer". Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945 (in German). Robert Balsam. 2012-01-07. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Conduct Unbecoming By Howard Margolian p.75
  3. ↑ "WWW.WAFFEN-SS.NO "10. SS-Panzer-Division Frundsberg"". 2012-05-15. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  4. 1 2 Thomas 1997, p. 79.
  5. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 59.
  6. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 144, 488.
  7. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 242.
  8. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 93.

Bibliography

  • 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. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • 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. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. 

External links

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