Siegfried Thomaschki

Siegfried Paul Leonhard Thomaschki
Born	20 March 1894 Miswalde, West Prussia, German Empire
Died	31 May 1967 (aged 73) Bad Neuenahr
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1913–45
Rank	General der Artillerie
Commands held	11. Infanterie Division X. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad Courland Pocket
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Siegfried Paul Leonhard Thomaschki (20 March 1894 – 31 May 1967) was a German general who commanded the 11. Infanterie Division during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Siegfried Thomaschki was captured by Soviet troops on 8 May 1945 in the Courland Pocket, he was held until 1955.

Siegfried Thomaschki was the third child of Paul Thomaschki, an East Prussian theologian, and his wife Elisabeth, née Schucht. Like his father he was a member of Corps Masovia Königsberg.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (31 November 1914)^[1]
  • 1st Class (27 January 1917)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1914)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 in 1934
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (6 October 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (18 December 1939)^[1]
• Lifesaving Medal
• Eastern Front Medal
• German Cross in Gold on 19 December 1941 as Oberst and Arko 123^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 1 November 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of 11. Infanterie-Division^[3]
  • 299th Oak Leaves on 11 September 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 11.Infanterie-Division^[4]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (12 February 1944)

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
12 February 1944	Im Nordabschnitt der Ostfront haben sich die rheinisch-westfälische 227. Infanterie-Division unter Führung des Generalleutnants Berlin und die Heeresartillerie unter Führung des Eichenlaubträgers Generalleutnant Tomaschki hervorragend bewährt.[5]	In the northern sector of the eastern front, the Rhenish-Westphalian 227th Infantry Division under the command of Lieutenant General Berlin and the Army artillery under the command of Oak Leaves recipient Lieutenant General Tomaschki have proven themselves to be excellent.

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 375.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 475.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 342.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 63.
5. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 33.

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.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• World War 2 Awards.com