- Walter Poppe
Walter Poppe (
8 August 1892 -1968), born inKassel , served as aGeneralleutnant during theSecond World War leading theGerman 59th Infantry Division , subordinate toHans Reinhard 'sLXXXVIII.Armeekorps .He had initially joined the army on
January 20 1914 , and served as a Leutnant inWorld War I OnJanuary 12 1942 , he succeededWilhelm Wetzel as command of the255.Infanterie-Division between the Eastern Front andFrance until it was disbanded in October 1943, at which point he succeededOtto Lasch as command of the217.Infanterie-Division on the Eastern Front, until it was also disbanded a month later onNovember 15 .He participated in
Operation Market Garden , leading the 59th Infantry Division where he led his troops across a river crossing betweenBreskens 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
467.Infanterie-Division .Ranks Held
*Obstlt
1 October 1936
*Oberst1 June 1939
*Gen.Maj.1 April 1942
*Gen.Lt.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. April45Awards
*Iron Cross I
*Black Wound Badge
*German Cross in Gold -May 30 1942
*"his ribbon bar may have been EK2,EH3bX,HH,BO5"References
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
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