(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalmajor Wilhelm Bleckwenn
Born: 21 Oct 1906 in Berge, Bersenbrück
Died: 10 May 1989 in Saarbrücken
Promotions:
Polizei-Unterwachtmeister (01 Oct 1925); Polizei-Wachtmeister (01 Jan 1929); Polizei-Oberwachtmeister (01 Jun 1930); Polizei-Leutnant (01 Apr 1933); Polizei-Oberleutnant (01 Jul 1934); Oberleutnant (15 Oct 1935); Hauptmann (01 Oct 1936); Major (15 Oct 1941); Oberstleutnant (01 Aug 1942); Oberst (08 Nov 1943); Generalmajor (08 Feb 1945); Konteradmiral (01 Mar 1945)
Career:
Entered Police Service as a Polizei-Anwärter at the Police-School in Hildesheim (16 Apr 1925-31 Mar 1936)
With the Protection-Police in Wesermünde (01 Apr 1926-30 Apr 1934)
Detached to Police-Offizer-Aspirants-Course in Spandau (20 Sep 1929-18 Sep 1930)
Detached to Firing-Instructor-Course anf Armoured-Vehicle-Training at the School for Technology and Traffic Berlin (20 Sep 1932-30 Nov 1932)
MG-Officer with the Staff of the State-Police-Group Hannover, Temporarily, also Platoon-Leader in the 2nd Unit of the State-Police Hannover (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Transferred into the Army (01 Aug 1935)
Detached to Course for MG-Platoon-Leaders at the Infantry-School Döberitz (23 Sep 1935-12 Oct 1935)
Company-Officer in the 1st MG-Battalion (15 Oc 1935-12 Oct 1937)
Company-Chief in the 10th MG-Battalion (12 Oct 1937-10 Nov 1938)
Detached to Officer-Course at the War-School Dresden (10 Jul 1938-10 Aug 1938)
Company-Chief in the 14th MG-Battalion (10 Nov 1938-04 Jan 1940)
Commander of the I. Battalion of the 127th Border-Infantry-Regiment (04 Jan 1940 - 22 Nov 1940)
Commander of the III. Battalion of the 690th Infantry-Regiment (22 Nov 1940-26 Mar 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH, Detached as Officer-Trainor in the 63rd Infantry-Replancement, Ingolstadt (26 Mar 1941-20 Aug 1941)
Wounded, in Hospital, Transferred to the 256th Infantry-Replacement-Battalion (09 Sep 1941-31 Oct 1942)
Führer-Reserve, Army-Group Centre (21 Oct 1941-04 Nov 1941)
Commander of the III. Battalion of the 467th Infantry-Regiment (04 Nov 1941-27 Nov 1941)
Commander of the I. Battalion of the 467th Infantry-Regiment (27 Nov 1941-18 Jan 1942)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 487th Infantry-Regiment (18 Jan 1942-01 Aug 1942)
Commander of the 487th Infantry-Regiment (01 Aug 1942-14 Aug 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH, also Battle-Commandant of Trier (14 Aug 1944-17 Aug 1944)
After the break-up of Army-Group Centre, he broke through with the remainder of the Regiments of the Dnieper and the Beresina from the Russian front to East Prussia in 44 days (17 Aug 1944)
Führer-Reserve with Military-District-Command XII (14 Aug 1944-18 Oct 1944)
15th Divisional-Leaders-Course (19 Oct 1944-15 Nov 1944)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 708th Volksgrenadier-Division (15 Nov 1944-30 Jan 1945)
Commander of the 708th Volksgrenadier-Division (30 Jan 1945-20 Feb 1945)
Führer-Reserve with Military-District-Command XII (21 Feb 1945-27 Feb 1945)
Transferred into the Kriegsmarine with the Rank of Konteradmiral (01 Mar 1945)
Commander of the 1st Naval-Infantry-Division (28 Feb 1945-04 May 1945)
In British Captivity (04 May 1945-00 Jul 1947)
In French Captivity (00 Jul 1947-25 Oct 1947)
Released (25 Oct 1947)

Awards & Decorations
- Ritterkreuz (2876): am 06.04.1944 als Oberst und Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 487
- Eichenlaub (621): am 18.10.1944 als Oberst und Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 487
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 14.04.1942 als Major und Führer Infanterie-Regiment 487
- EK I : 01.07.1940
- EK II : 21.05.1940
- Deutsches Reiterabzeichen
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. Klasse: 02.10.1936
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung III. Klasse
- Ehrensäbel für Schiessen mit Gewehr: 26.11.1937
- Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen: 20.03.1940
- Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber: 01.07.1940
- Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz: 10.09.1941
- Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942”: 20.08.1942
- Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber: 20.08.1943
- Nahkampfspange I. Stufe (Bronze)
- Nahkampfspange II. Stufe (Silber)


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