Wilhelm Berlin

Wilhelm Otto Julius Berlin
Last front visit of Adolf Hitler on 3 March 1945. Standing behind Hitler from left to right: General der Artillerie Wilhelm Berlin, Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim, Generalmajor Franz Reuß, General der Flakartillerie Job Odebrecht and General der Infanterie Theodor Busse
Born	28 April 1889 Cologne
Died	15 September 1987 (aged 98) Hamburg
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1909–45
Rank	General der Artillerie
Commands held	58. Infanterie-Division 227. Infanterie-Division XXVI. Armeekorps CI. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Siege of Leningrad Battle of Narva (1944) Battle of the Seelow Heights
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Wilhelm Otto Julius Berlin (28 April 1889 – 15 September 1987) was a highly decorated General der Artillerie in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Wilhelm Berlin was captured by American troops in May 1945 and remained in captivity until 1947.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class (27 September 1914)
  • 1st Class (25 September 1916)
• Knight's Cross Second Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion with Swords (18 December 1914)
• Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (27 September 1918)
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (21 December 1934)
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th to 1st Class
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (23 December 1939)
  • 1st Class (20 May 1940)
• War Merit Cross with Swords
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords (23 August 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 March 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 227. Infanterie-Division^[1]
• 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.[2]	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. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 111.
2. 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.
• 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

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Wilhelm Berlin @ Axis Biographical Research at the Wayback Machine (archived October 28, 2009)