(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
General der Fallschirmtruppe Richard Heidrich
Born: 28 Jul 1896 in Lewalde, Saxony (Sachsen)
Died: 22 Dec 1947 in Hamburg-Bergedorf (in hospital)
Promotions:
Gefreiter (17 Nov 1914); Unteroffizier (18 May 1915); Fähnrich (14 Jul 1915); Leutnant (20 Aug 1915); Oberleutnant (31 Jul 1925); Hauptmann (01 Feb 1931); Major (18 Jan 1936); Oberstleutnant (01 Jan 1939); Oberst (20 Apr 1940); Generalmajor (04 Aug 1942); Generalleutnant (01 Jul 1943); General der Fallschirmtruppe (31 Oct 1944)
Career:
Entered the Army as a War Volunteer in the 101st Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (18 Aug 1914-10 Apr 1915)
In the 102nd Infantry-Regiment (11 Apr 1915-30 Sep 1916)
Platoon and Company Leader and Regiments Adjutant in the 182nd Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1916-15 May 1920)
Platoon-Leader in the 24th Infantry-Regiment (16 May 1920-30 Sep 1920)
Platoon-Leader in the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-26 Aug 1924)
Subsidiary-Leadership-Training with the Staff of Military-District-Command IV (27 Aug 1924-30 Sep 1925)
With the Staff of the 4th Division (01 Oct 1925-30 Sep 1926)
Platoon-Leader in the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1926-30 Sep 1929)
Detached to the II. Naval-Artillery-Battalion (01 Oct 1929-31 Oct 1930)
Platoon-Leader in the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Nov 1930-31 Jan 1931)
Company-Chief in the 10th Infantry-Regiment (01 Feb 1931-31 Aug 1934)
Tactics-Instructor at the Infantry-School, Dresden (01 Sep 1934-14 Oct 1935)
Instructor at the War School Potsdam then Munich (15 Oct 1935-11 Oct 1937)
Commander of the Parachute-Infantry-Company (12 Oct 1937-03 Jun 1938)
Commander of the Parachute-Infantry-Battalion (04 Jun 1938-31 Dec 1938)
Transferred to Luftwaffe Service as Commander of the II. Battalion of the 1st Paratrooper-Regiment (01 Jan 1939-05 Feb 1939)
Chief Of Operations (Ia) in the Staff of the 7th Flying-Division (06 Feb 1939-31 May 1939)
Officer with Special Duties with the RLM and C-in-C Luftwaffe (01 Jun 1939-25 Aug 1939)
Führer-Reserve, Military-District IV (26 Aug 1939-31 Aug 1939)
With the Staff of the 7th Flying-Division (01 Sep 1939-30 Sep 1939)
Transferred to Army Service and Assigned with the 10th Infantry-Replacement-Battalion, Dresden (01 Oct 1939-30 Nov 1939)
Commander of the 4th Infantry-Replacement-Regiment (01 Dec 1939-05 Feb 1940)
Commander of the 514th Infantry-Regiment (06 Feb 1940-31 May 1940)
Transferred to Luftwaffe Service as Commander of the 3rd Paratrooper-Regiment (01 Jun 1940-31 Jul 1942)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 7th Flying-Division (01 Aug 1942-31 Oct 1942)
Commander of the 7th Flying-Division (Paratrooper) (01 Nov 1942-30 Apr 1943)
Commander of the 1st Paratrooper-Division (01 May 1943-16 Nov 1944)
Commanding General of the I. Parachute-Corps (16 Nov 1944-03 May 1945)
In British Captivity (03 May 1945-00 Jul 1947)
Released (00 Jul 1947)

Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz: am 14.06.1941 als Oberst und Kommandeur Fallschirm-Jäger-Regiment 3
- Eichenlaub (382): am 05.02.1944 als Generalleutnant und Kommandeur 1. Fallschirm-Jäger-Division
- Schwerter (55): am 25.03.1944 als Generalleutnant und Kommandeur 1. Fallschirm-Jäger-Division
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 13.04.1942 als Oberst und Kommandeur Fallschirm-Jäger-Regiment 3
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- RK II. Klasse des Kgl. Sächs. Albrechts-Ordens mit Schwertern
- RK II. Klasse des Kgl. Sächs. Verdienstordens mit Schwertern
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Fallschirmschützen-Abzeichen (Heer)
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 01.10.1938 mit Spange “Prager Burg”
- Spange zum EK I: 25.05.1941
- Spange zum EK II: 25.05.1941
- Wehrmachtbericht: 09.06.1941; 24.12.1943; 25.03.1944; 29.06.1944
- Fallschirmschützen-Abzeichen (Luftwaffe): 12.12.1943
- Ärmelband “Kreta”


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