(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalleutnant Erich Diestel
Born: 08 Nov 1892 in Deutsch-Eylau
Died: 03 Aug 1973 in Bad Wiessee
Promotions:
Fähnrich (09 Apr 1912); Leutnant (18 Aug 1913); Oberleutnant (01 May 1922); Hauptmann (01 May 1927); Major (01 Oct 1934); Oberstleutnant (01 Apr 1937); Oberst (01 Jun 1940); Generalmajor (01 Aug 1942); Generalleutnant (01 Aug 1943)
Career:
Entered Army Service (09 Apr 1912)
Fähnrich in the 35th Fusilier-Regiment (09 Apr 1912-19 Sep 1914)
Wounded, in Hospital (19 Sep 1914-17 Nov 1914)
With the Replacement-Battalion of the 35th Fusilier-Regiment (17 Nov 1914-01 Dec 1914)
Transferred to the 16th Field-Replacement-Battalion of the 270th Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (01 Dec 1914-29 Dec 1914)
Platoon-Leader in the 270th Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (29 Dec 1914-16 May 1915)
Adjutant of the I. Battalion of the 270th Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (16 May 1915-01 Oct 1916)
Company-Leader in the 270th Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1916-01 Apr 1917)
At the same time, Temporary MG-Officer with the Staff of the 270th Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (30 Jan 1917-14 Mar 1917)
At the same time, was Temporary Regiments-Adjutant of the 270th Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (24 Mar 1917-31 Mar 1917)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 422nd Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1917-23 Oct 1918)
Company-Leader in the 422nd Infantry-Regiment (23 Oct 1918-13 Feb 1919)
Transferred into the I. Battalion of the 35th Fusilier-Regiment (13 Feb 1919-13 Mar 1919)
Adjutant of District-Command V, Berlin (13 Mar 1919-22 Sep 1919)
Assigned to the 5th Reichswehr-Infantry-Regiment (22 Sep 1919-20 Jan 1920)
Transferred into the 5th Infantry-Regiment (20 Jan 1920-26 Mar 1920)
Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 5th Infantry-Regiment (26 Mar 1920-01 Jan 1921)
Transferred into the 9th Infantry-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-17 Oct 1921)
Transferred as Acting-Adjutant to the Training-Battalion of the 9th Infantry-Regiment (17 Oct 1921-01 Dec 1921)
Adjutant of the Training-Battalion of the 9th Infantry-Regiment (01 Dec 1921-01 Oct 1924)
Transferred into the 4th Mounted-Regiment and Detached to Subsidiary-Leadership-Training with the Staff of the 3rd Division (01 Oct 1924-01 Oct 1925)
Transferred back to the 9th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1925-01 Feb 1927)
Temporary-Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 9th Infantry-Regiment (08 Apr 1926-20 Aug 1926)
Company-Chief in the 9th Infantry-Regiment (01 Feb 1927-01 Jul 1933)
Instructor at the Infantry School Dresden (01 Jul 1933-01 Jan 1935)
Instructor at the War School Dresden (01 Jan 1935-12 Oct 1937)
Commander of the I. Battalion of the 68th Infantry-Regiment (12 Oct 1937-15 Jan 1940)
Commander of the 188th Infantry-Regiment (15 Jan 1940-15 Apr 1942)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 101st Light Infantry-Division (15 Apr 1942-01 Aug 1942)
Commander of the 101st Jäger-Division (01 Aug 1942-01 Sep 1942)
Führer-Reserve OKH (01 Sep 1942-05 Sep 1942)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 75th Infantry-Division (05 Sep 1942-13 Sep 1942)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 370th Infantry-Division (Command did not come into effect) (13 Sep 1942-14 Sep 1942)
Führer-Reserve OKH (14 Sep 1942-20 Sep 1942)
Commander of the 346th Infantry-Division (20 Sep 1942-16 Oct 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (16 Oct 1944-18 Nov 1944)
Commander of Special-Purpose-Division-Staff 331 (18 Nov 1944-23 Mar 1945)
Delegated with the Leadership of Corps-Detachment Diestel (23 Mar 1945-10 Apr 1945)
Delegated with the Temporary-Leadership of Army-Detachment Kleffel (10 Apr 1945-08 May 1945)
In Captivity (08 May 1945-1947)
Released (1947)

Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz (3700): am 08.10.1944 als Generalleutnant und Komm. 346. Infanteriedivision/ LXXXVI Armeekorps/ 15. Armee/ Heeresgruppe B
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (43/60): am 02.01.1942 als Oberst und Komm. Infanterie-Regiment 188/ 68. Infanteriedivision/ LV Armeekorps/ 6. Armee/ Heeresgruppe Süd
- 1939 EK I –S-: 31.05.1940
- 1939 EK II –S-: 00.10.1939
- 1914 EK I: 19.02.1917
- 1914 EK II: 07.10.1914
- Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz: 02.05.1915
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz: 12.09.1918
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung II Klasse: 02.10.1936
- Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942”: 11.07.1942
- Nennung im Wehrmachtsbericht: 10.09.1944


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