Gerald Krause

Gerald Krause (b. 2 July 1919 in Kiel, Germany) was a German Waffen-SS officer during World War II. Krause rapidly rose to the rank of Sturmbannführer for his presence in the field and his highly-regarded leadership abilities.

Early life

He was born to Maximillian Krause and Gertrude Krause. In his early teens prior to the Third Reich, Krause excelled in school and on the soccer pitch, where he was a highly-touted athlete and striker.

World War II

Krause closely followed the ideologies of Adolf Hitler and soon, like many Germans of that era, was a supporter of the new leadership. In December 1939, he applied for service in the elite Waffen-SS. In early 1940, Krause was inducted into the SS and posted to SS-Standarte Germania for training. After a couple months of training, he was given the rank of Unterscharführer and joined the Standarte's III. Battalion, based at Radolfzell.

Krause was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for his actions on D-Day in Normandy; he successfully led an undermanned and overwhelmed platoon of Waffen-SS soldiers in the defense of a Howitzer near the beachhead of Utah. He saw action continuously on both fronts throughout the following years, gaining admiration from his soldiers and his leaders for his willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of the Nazi Party. These actions caught up to him in late 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. Attempting to link up with II. Battalion, Krause was seriously wounded in the shoulder by an American patrol which he encountered by himself. Before being wounded he was reported to have shot five Allied soldiers. Krause managed to make his way back to III. Battalion and informed them of the American patrol before collapsing. Saving many soldiers' lives with this action of courage and perseverance, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class, as well as the Wound Badge Black for his injury.

Postwar life

Following the war, Krause fled to Spain to escape prosecution of war crimes during the Nuremberg Trials. He stayed there until 1949, when he moved to the United States. He still resides there today.

Awards and decorations

At the time of the German Army's unconditional surrender, Krause had these decorations:
*Iron Cross 1st Class
*Iron Cross 2nd Class
*Wound Badge in Black
*Infantry Assault Badge