Walter Poppe

Walter Fritz Rudolf Poppe
Born	8 August 1892 Kassel
Died	17 August 1968 (aged 76) possibly Herford
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1919) Nazi Germany
Years of service	1914-1945
Rank	Generalleutnant
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad Operation Market Garden
Awards	German Cross in Gold

Walter Fritz Rudolf Poppe (8 August 1892 in Kassel - 17 August 1968), born in Kassel, served as a Generalleutnant during the Second World War leading the 59th Infantry Division, subordinate to Georg-Hans Reinhardt's LXXXVIII.Armeekorps.

He had initially joined the army on January 20, 1914, and served as a Leutnant in World War I.

On January 12, 1942, he succeeded Wilhelm Wetzel as command of the 255th Infantry Division between the Eastern Front and France until it was disbanded in October 1943, at which point he succeeded Otto Lasch as command of the 217th Infantry Division on the Eastern Front, until it was also disbanded a month later on November 15.

He participated in Operation Market Garden, leading the 59th Infantry Division where he led his troops across a river crossing between Breskens and Flushing. After the war he was credited as a 'Military Advisor' on the 1974 film A Bridge Too Far even though he had died in 1968.

By war's end, he held command of the 467th Infantry Division.

Dates of rank

• Leutnant ohne Patent: 20 January 1914 (Granted Patent on 22 June 1912)
• Oberleutnant: 18 August 1917
• Hauptmann: 1 April 1925
• Major: 1934
• Oberstleutnant: 1 October 1936
• Oberst 1 June 1939
• Generalmajor: 1 April 1942
• Generalleutnant: 1 January 1943

Commands Held

• Inf.Regt.465 1 September 1939
• 255 Inf.Div. 12 January 1942
• 217 Inf.Div. (m.d.F.b.) Oct - 15 November 1943
• 364 Inf.Div. 15 December 1943 - 21 January 1944
• 77.Inf.Div. 1 February 1944 - 25 April 1944
• 59.Inf.Div. 5 July 1944 - Feb.45
• 467.Inf.Div. April45

Awards

• Iron Cross of 1914, 2nd Class^[1]
• Wound Badge (1918) in Black^[1]
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918^[1]
• Iron Cross of 1939, 1st and 2nd Class^[1]
• German Cross in Gold (30 May 1942)^[1]
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (8 November 1943)

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
8 November 1943	In diesen mit unverminderter Heftigkeit andauernden schweren Abwehrkämpfen haben sich die fränkisch-sudetendeutsche 183. Infanteriedivision unter Führung von Generalleutnant Dettling und die ostpreußische 217. Infanteriedivision unter Führung von Generalleutnant Poppe besonders ausgezeichnet.[2]	In these continuously heavy defensive battles with unreduced fierceness, the franconian-sudeten 183rd Infantry Division under the leadership of Generalleutnant Dettling and the east prussian 217th Infantry Division under the leadership of Generalleutnant Poppe distinguished themselves exceptionally.

References

1. "Generalleutnant Walter Poppe". Die Generale des Heeres (in German). Retrieved 15 January 2014.
2. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 600.

Sources

• Generalleutnant Walter Poppe. Article at Lexicon der Wehrmacht website (German)
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943. Köln: Geschellschaft für Literatur und Bildung mbH, 1989. ISBN 3-89340-004-4 (German)
• 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.