(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalleutnant Walter Eckstein
Born: 16 Feb 1888 in Weimar
Died: 25 Feb 1966 in Baden-Baden
Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (05 Jul 1907); Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (11 Aug 1907); Fähnrich (18 Oct 1907); Leutnant (18 Aug 1908); Oberleutnant (28 Nov 1914); Hauptmann (18 Apr 1916); Major (01 Feb 1929); Oberstleutnant (01 Jul 1933); Oberst (01 Jun 1935); Charakter als Generalmajor (01 Feb 1939); Generalmajor (01 Dec 1939); Generalleutnant (01 Jun 1942)
Career:
Entered Army Service (21 Feb 1907)
Fahnenjunker in the 20th Pioneer-Battalion (21 Feb 1907-01 Oct 1913)
Detached to War-School in Kassel (00 Oct 1907-00 Jul 1908)
Detached to the Military Technical Academy (01 Oct 1910-03 Aug 1912)
Detached to the Military Gymnasium (01 Oct 1912-28 Feb 1913)
Court-Officer of the 20th Pioneer-Battalion (25 Mar 1913-15 Sep 1913)
Transferred as Adjutant into the 30th Pioneer-Battalion (01 Oct 1913-02 Aug 1914)
Adjutant of the I. Battalion of the 30th Pioneer-Regiment (02 Aug 1914-05 Jun 1915)
Company-Chief in the 8th Pioneer-Regiment (05 Jun 1915-08 Feb 1917)
Transferred into a General-Staff-Office of Staging-Inspection 12 (08 Feb 1917-20 May 1917)
Transferred into the General-Staff of the 5th Landwehr-Division (20 May 1917-28 Aug 1917)
Company-Chief in the 30th Pioneer-Battalion (28 Aug 1917-04 Sep 1917)
Company-Chief in the 30th Pioneer-Replacement-Battalion (04 Sep 1917-10 Sep 1917)
Transferred into the General-Staff of the General-Command of the XVIII. Army-Corps (10 Sep 1917-13 Dec 1918)
Company-Chief in the 30th Pioneer-Battalion (13 Dec 1918-01 Jun 1919)
Company-Chief of the Rhineland-Koblenz Pioneer-Company of the Reichswehr-Battalion Rhineland (01 Jun 1919-09 Sep 1919)
Company-Chief in the 10th Reichswehr-Pioneer-Battalion (09 Sep 1919-01 Jan 1921)
Company-Chief in the 6th Pioneer-Battalion (01 Jan 1921-01 Oct 1923)
Pioneer-Officer of Fortress Glogau (01 Oct 1923-26 Jan 1924)
Detached to the RWM/In 5 (26 Jan 1924-01 Apr 1924)
Transferred as Advisor into the RWM/In 5 (01 Apr 1924-01 Apr 1930)
Detached to Course for Machine and Motor Troops at the Pioneer-School Munich (27 Nov 1925-19 Dec 1925)
Detached to Combat School Course for Staff Officers (Non-Infantry) in Döberitz (22 Oct 1929-30 Oct 1929)
Major with the Staff of the 4th Pioneer-Battalion (01 Apr 1930-01 Oct 1931)
Pioneer-Officer of Fortress Glogau (01 Oct 1931-04 Nov 1932)
Detached to Firing Course for Heavy Infantry Weapons in Döberitz (06 Oct 1931-23 Oct 1931)
Detached to Schooling for Staff Officers to Infantry-Leader III in Potsdam (16 Oct 1932-04 Nov 1932)
Fortress-Inspector IV, Glogau (01 Oct 1934-01 Aug 1936)
Officer with Special Duties with the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (01 Aug 1936-18 Jan 1937)
Fortress-Inspector VII (18 Jan 1937-15 Mar 1939)
Fortress-Pioneer-Commander VII (15 Mar 1939-26 Aug 1939)
Commander of Senior Construction Staff 7 (26 Aug 1939-26 Oct 1939)
Army-Pioneer-Leader of the 7th Army (26 Oct 1939-01 Aug 1940)
Commandant of Fortifications on the Upper Rhine (01 Aug 1940-12 Dec 1941)
Fortress-Pioneer-Leader XIX, West France (12 Dec 1941-01 Aug 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (01 Aug 1943-01 Sep 1943)
Führer-Reserve, Military-District-Command VI (01 Sep 1943-15 Sep 1943)
Commandant of Fortifications on the Lower Rhine and Coast (15 Sep 1943-15 Oct 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (15 Oct 1944-18 Oct 1944)
Commandant of Fortifications on the Upper Rhine (18 Oct 1944-27 Mar 1945)
Führer-Reserve OKH (27 Mar 1945-08 Apr 1945)
Assigned to Higher Command Upper Rhine as Pioneer-Advisor (08 Apr 1945-06 May 1945)
In Captivity (06 May 1945-12 May 1947)
Released (12 May 1947)

Decorations & Awards:
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- RK II. Klasse des Grossherzoglich Sachsen-Weimarischer Hausorden der Wachsamkeit oder vom weissen Falken mit Schwertern
- Grossherzoglich Sachsen-Weimarisches Wilhelm Ernst-Kriegskreuz
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse


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