Walter Elflein

Walter Elflein
Birth name	Walter Elflein
Born	10 December 1914 Neustadt
Died	30 December 2000 (aged 86) Neustadt
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1935–45
Rank	Major of the Reserves
Unit	Grenadier-Regiment 95
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Battle of Moscow Lower Dnieper Offensive Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Walter Elflein (10 December 1914 – 30 December 2000) was a highly decorated Major of the Reserves in the Wehrmacht 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.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (5 December 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (1 July 1941)^[1]
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
  • in Silver
  • in Gold (5 December 1943)
• Infantry Assault Badge (13 September 1941)
• Eastern Front Medal
• German Cross in Gold on 26 December 1941 as Leutnant in the 1./Infanterie-Regiment 95^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 8 October 1943 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and leader of the 2./Grenadier-Regiment 95^[3]
  • 347th Oak Leaves on 5 December 1943 as Hauptmann of the Reserves and commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 95 and Führer of a Kampfgruppe in the 17. Infanterie-Division^[4]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 152.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 102.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 145.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 65.

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

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht