Wilhelm Beck

Wilhelm Beck
Born	22 December 1919 Bitz, Germany
Died	10 June 1944 (aged 24) Caen, France
Buried at	La Cambe German war cemetery
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1936–44
Rank	Hauptsturmführer
Unit	1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
Commands held	Battery, Sturmgeschütz Battalion 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler 2nd Company, 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler 2nd Company, 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend"
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class Panzer Assault Badge Eastern Front Medal Wound Badge- Silver

Wilhelm Beck (22 December 1919 – 10 June 1944) was a Hauptsturmführer (Captain) in the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. He was born on the 22 December 1919 at Bitz in Württemberg Germany. He enlisted in the SS and rose to the rank of Hauptsturmführer being awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

In 1940 Oberscharführer (Technical Sergeant) Beck served with Michael Wittmann in the LSSAH Sturmgeschütz Battery and by the time of Operation Barbarossa he had been promoted to Unterstrumführer (Second Lieutenant) and given command of a platoon in the Sturmgeschütz (self-propelled artillery/StuG) battery.^[1] During the advance to the Black Sea at the port city of Kerson Beck engaged a Russian Gunboat and a Submarine^[2] In 1942 the LSSAH Sturmgeschütz (StuG) unit was brought up to battalion strength and Beck was given command of one of the Batteries, the Battalion commander being Max Wünsche.^[3]

Beck was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions in the Third Battle of Kharkov, by this time he had been transferred to the II/Battalion of the SS Panzer Regiment 1 LSSAH, Beck and his unit destroyed more than 100 Soviet artillery pieces and over 10 T-34 tanks in 3 weeks of fighting.^[4] In 1943 Beck was promoted to Hauptsturmfurher and assigned to 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, as 2nd Company Commander,^[5] he was replaced by SS Ostuf Gaede when the Division was moved to France in 1944 and Beck was appointed as the Liaison officer between the LSSAH and 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, he was killed in a carpet bombing attack by Allied forces near Caen on the 10 June 1944.^[6]

Wilhelm Beck is buried at the German Cemetery at La Cambe near Caen, France.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (2 May 1941)^[7]
  • 1st Class (14 September 1941)^[7]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 March 1943 as SS-Obersturmführer and leader of the 2./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"^{[8][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as SS-Obersturmführer of the Reserves and leader of the 2./SS-Panzer-Regiment "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler".^[9]

References

Citations

1. Michael Wittman Volume Two By Patrick Agte p.79
2. Michael Wittman Volume Two By Patrick Agte p.81
3. Michael Wittman Volume Two By Patrick Agte p.82
4. The 12th SS By Hubert Meyer p.194
5. SS Officer Personnel File, NARA
6. Grenadiers By Kurt Meyer p.234
7. Federl 2000, p. 25.
8. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 125, 485.
9. Scherzer 2007, p. 208.

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.
• Federl, Christian (2000). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939–1945 Die Panzertruppe [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Panzer Divisions 1939–1945 The Panzer Force] (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-43-0.
• Meyer, Kurt (2005) [1957]. Grenadiers. Stackpole Military History Series. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3197-3.
• 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.

External links