(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
General der Infanterie Fritz (Friedrich) Koch
Born: 15 Jan 1879 in Odenkirchen, District Münchengladbach
Died: 03 Nov 1961 in Bonn
Promotions:
Fähnrich (24 May 1898); Leutnant (27 Jan 1899); Oberleutnant (19 Aug 1909); Hauptmann (01 Oct 1913); Major (22 Mar 1919); Oberstleutnant (15 Nov 1922); Oberst (01 May 1927); Generalmajor (01 Feb 1931); Charakter als Generalleutnant (01 Nov 1931); SS-Mann (20 Apr 1937); SS-Standartenführer (20 Apr 1937); SS-Oberführer (12 Sep 1937); Generalleutnant z.V. (01 May 1940); General der Infanterie z.V. (01 Dec 1940); SS-Brigadeführer (09 Nov 1942); SS-Gruppenführer (30 Jan 1943)
Career:
Entered Army Service (20 Sep 1897)
Fahnenjunker in the 15th Infantry-Regiment Prinz Friedrich der Niederlande (20 Sep 1897-18 Oct 1907)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 15th Infantry-Regiment (18 Oct 1907-22 Mar 1912)
Detached to the Grand General Staff (22 Mar 1912-22 Mar 1914)
Transferred into the Grand General Staff (22 Mar 1914-01 Aug 1914)
War Employment as a General Staff Officer in the General Staff of the Firld Army (01 Aug 1914-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred into the RWM (01 Oct 1919-01 Apr 1922)
Commander of the Training-Battalion of the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1922-1926)
Department-Director in the RWM (01 Oct 1924-01 Feb 1927)
Assigned to the Staff of the 2nd Division (1926-01 Feb 1927)
Commander of Military-Region East with Military-District-Command II (Stettin) and Commandant of the Troop-Exercise-Grounds Hammerstein (01 Feb 1927-01 Jul 1930)
Commandant of Neustettin (01 Jan 1930-01 Jul 1930)
Commandant of Fortress Königsberg (01 Jul 1930-01 Nov 1931)
Retired (01 Nov 1931)
Entered into the Reichskriegerbund/Kriegerkameradschaft Hennef (01 Feb 1932)
National Director of the Reichs Curatorium for Youth Training in the Provinces of Rhineland & Westphalia (00 Mar 1932-00 Jun 1933)
Member of Stahlhelm (1932-1933)
Transferred into SA-Reserve II (15 May 1934)
Leader of National Unit Lower Rhine of SA-Reserve II (SAR II) then SA-L (15 May 1934-01 Jul 1936)
National-Leader Lower Rhine of the Reichskriegerbundes (16 May 1934-01 Apr 1937)
National-Area-Leader West of the Reichskriegerbundes then Regional-Krieger-Leader West (Cologne) (01 Apr 1937-30 Jun 1943)
Transferred into the Allgemeine SS (20 Apr 1937)
SS-Leader with the Staff of SS-Upper-Section West (20 Apr 1937-26 Aug 1939)
Placed to Disposal (Army) (30 Aug 1939)
Commander of the 254th Infantry-Division (26 Aug 1939-01 May 1940)
Commanding General of XXXXIV. Army-Corps (01 May 1940-11 Nov 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH (11 Nov 1941-31 May 1942)
Retired (31 May 1942)

Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz: am 13.10.1941 als General der Infanterie z.V. und Kommandierender General des XLIV. Armeekorps
- RK des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern: 18.08.1917
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Fürstl. Lippischer Hausorden IV. Klasse
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
- Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse
- Bremisches Hanseatenkreuz
- Kgl. Preuss. Dienstauszeichnungskreuz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Spange zum EK II
- Spange zum EK I


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