(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalmajor Georg Benthack
Born: 02 Mar 1894 in Hamburg
Died: 17 Aug 1973 in Hamburg
Promotions:
Gefreiter (19 Sep 1915); Unteroffizier (19 Dec 1915); Vizefeldwebel und Offiziers-Aspirant (19 Jan 1917); Leutnant der Reserve (20 Nov 1917); Hauptmann (E) (01 Oct 1936); Hauptmann (02 Jan 1937); Major (01 Jan 1940); Oberstleutnant (17 Dec 1941); Oberst (01 Jun 1943); Generalmajor (01 Dec 1944)
Career:
Entered Army Service (Reserves) (21 Nov 1914)
War Volunteer in the 2nd Guards-Foot-Artillery-Regiment (21 Nov 1914-31 Jul 1915)
Transferred into the 273rd Foot-Artillery-Battery (31 Jul 1915-26 Oct 1916)
Transferred into the 10th Artillery-Ranging-Troop (26 Oct 1916-16 Dec 1917)
Transferred into the Replacement-Battalion of the 16th Foot-Artillery-Regiment (16 Dec 1917-15 Nov 1918)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 16th Foot-Artillery-Regiment (15 Nov 1918-10 Jun 1919)
Retired from Army Service (10 Jun 1919)
Selection-Exercise with the 3rd Observation-Battalion, Jüterbog (13 May 1936-19 May 1936)
Supplemental-Officer-Aspirant with the 3rd Observation-Battalion and 20th Observation-Battalion to perform Service-Tests (02 Jul 1936-30 Sep 1936)
Entered Army Service as Supplemental-Officer (01 Oct 1936); Active-Officer (02 Jan 1937)
Employed with the Staff of the 20th Observation-Battalion (01 Oct 1936-12 Oct 1937)
Battery-Chief in the 20th Observation-Battalion (12 Oct 1937-21 Oct 1939)
Course for Officers of the Artillery-Observation-Troop (11 Feb 1938-24 Feb 1938)
Detached to Course for Artillery-Observers (06 Jun 1939-30 Jun 1939)
Commander of the 20th Observation-Battalion (21 Oct 1939-21 Nov 1941)
Course-Director with the Instruction-Staff B at Artillery School II, Jüterbog (21 Nov 1941-30 Mar 1943)
Course for Regimental-Commanders at Artillery School I, Berlin (29 Jun 1942-31 Jul 1942)
Commander of the II. Battalion of the 25th Motorised-Artillery-Regiment (30 Mar 1943-17 May 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (17 May 1943-15 Aug 1943)
Commander of the 619th Artillery-Regiment (15 Aug 1943-01 Dec 1943)
Fortress Artillery Commander Crete (01 Dec 1943-09 Oct 1944)
Commander Fortress Crete and Delegated with the Leadership of the 133rd Fortress-Division (09 Oct 1944-01 Dec 1944)
Commander of the 133rd Fortress-Division (01 Dec 1944-18 Jan 1945)
Commander of the Fortress-Division Kreta (18 Jan 1945-09 May 1945)
In British captivity until 00 Jun 1945 when he was appointed Fortress-Commander of Crete under British Senior-Command (00 Jun 1945-1948)
Released (1948)

Awards & Decorations:
- - Ritterkreuz: am 21.05.1945 als Generalmajor und Komm. Festungs-Division und Kommandant Platzes Kreta
- - 1939 EK I –S-: 05.06.1940
- - 1939 EK II –S-: 03.10.1939
- - 1914 EK I: 04.05.1919
- - 1914 EK II: 27.05.1917
- - Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz: 20.07.1916
- - Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer: 20.11.1934
- - Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV Klasse: 01.04.1937
- - Heeres-Flakabzeichen


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