(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
General der Flieger Wilhelm Speidel
Born: 08 Jul 1895 in Metzingen
Died: 03 Jun 1970 in Nürtingen
Promotions:
Fähnrich (22 Mar 1914); Leutnant (07 Aug 1914); Oberleutnant (22 Mar 1918); Hauptmann/Rittmeister (01 Apr 1926); Major (01 Oct 1933); Oberstleutnant (01 Sep 1935); Oberst (01 Oct 1937); Oberstleutnant (01 Sep 1935); Oberst (01 Oct 1937); Generalmajor (22 Sep 1939); Generalleutnant (19 Jul 1940); General der Flieger (01 Jan 1942)
Career:
Entered the Army as an Fahnenjunker, Company-Officer, Platoon and Company-Leader in the 123rd Grenadier-Regiment (26 Jun 1913-17 Sep 1915)
Detached to War School in Metz (14 Mar 1914-01 Aug 1914)
Detached to Gas-Course at Cologne-Leverkusen (16 Aug 1915-20 Aug 1915)
Adjutant of the Recruitment-Depot of the 27th Infantry-Division (18 Sep 1915-16 Dec 1915)
Company-Leader in the 123rd Grenadier-Regiment (18 Dec 1915-20 Mar 1918)
Leader of the Assault-Battalion of the 27th Infantry-Division (21 Mar 1918-10 Nov 1918)
Detached for Briefing as Adjutant to District-Command Reutlingen (11 Nov 1918-19 Nov 1918)
Adjutant and Temporary-Commander of District-Command Gmünd (20 Nov 1918-18 Jul 1919)
Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 26th Rifle-Regiment (19 Jul 1919-30 Sep 1920)
Company-Officer in the 25th Rifle-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-14 Dec 1920)
Adjutant with Location-Command Stuttgart, on 01 Jan 1921 in the 13th Infantry-Regiment (15 Dec 1920-30 Sep 1921)
Transferred into the 18th Mounted-Regiment and Detached for Subsidiary-Leadership-Training to the Staff of the 7th Division (01 Oct 1921-30 Apr 1923)
Detached to the I. Battalion of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (21 Jun 1922-30 Sep 1922)
Platoon-Leader in the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 May 1923-31 Jul 1923)
Granted Leave for Rest and Recuperation (Illegal activity in the French occupied Ruhr-Area) (00 Jan 1923-00 Aug 1923)
Detached to the Staff of the 5th Division (01 Aug 1923-30 Sep 1924)
Transferred into the 18th Mounted-Regiment and Detached for Subsidiary-Leadership-Training into the Staff of the 5th Division (01 Oct 1924-30 Sep 1925)
Hauptmann with the Staff of the I. Battalion of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1925-30 Sep 1926)
At the same time, Detached for Training in Army Transport Affairs to the Staff of the 5th Division (01 Mar 1926-03 Apr 1926)
Subsidiary-Leadership-Training in the Organisation-Department of the RWM (01 Oct 1926-08 Jun 1927)
Detached to the 2nd Mounted-Regiment (09 Jun 1927-30 Sep 1927)
Rittmeister in the 11th Mounted-Regiment and Advisor in the Troop-Office, RWM (01 Oct 1927-31 Mar 1928)
Retired (31 Mar 1928)
Secret Flying-Training (01 Apr 1928-31 Jan 1929)
Reactivated to Army Service as Rittmeister in the 10th Mounted-Regiment and Advisor in Department T 3, RWM (01 Feb 1929-05 May 1929)
Detached to the US Army – Service with the Flying and Flak Units of the US Army Air Force (06 May 1929-12 May 1930)
Advisor in Department T 3, RWM (13 May 1930-10 Jun 1930)
Advisor in Department T 2, RWM (11 Jun 1930-31 Jan 1933)
Advisor in the Inspection of Weapons Schools (L), RWM (01 Feb 1933-31 Mar 1933)
Advisor in the Air-Protection-Office (L 1), RWM (01 Apr 1933-31 Oct 1933)
Transferred into the Luftwaffe as Advisor in the Luftwaffe-Command-Office, RLM (01 Nov 1933-28 Feb 1935)
Advisor in the Luftwaffe General staff, RLM (01 Mar 1935-30 Jun 1935)
Commander of Flying-Group Giebelstadt and Air-Base-Commandant Giebelstadt (01 Jul 1935-31 Mar 1936)
Chief Of The General Staff of Air-District-Command III, Dresden (01 Apr 1936-30 Jun 1938)
Chief Of The General Staff of Luftwaffe-Group-Command 1 (01 Jul 1938-31 Jan 1939)
Chief Of The General Staff of Air-Fleet 1 (01 Feb 1939-31 Dec 1939)
Chief Of The General Staff of Air-Fleet 2 (01 Jan 1940-09 Oct 1940)
Chief of the German Luftwaffe-Mission in Romania (10 Oct 1940-15 Jun 1942)
Führer-Reserve OKL (15 Jun 1942-10 Sep 1942)
Commanding General and Commander South-Greece (11 Sep 1942-07 Sep 1943)
Military-Commander Greece (08 Sep 1943-27 Apr 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKL (27 Apr 1944-09 Sep 1944)
Commander of the Liaison-Staff of OKL South-East (10 Sep 1944-22 Jan 1945)
Führer-Reserve OKL – to the Disposal of Air-Fleet Reich (22 Jan 1945-13 Mar 1945)
Commanding General of Motorised-Feldjäger-Command I (Military-Police) (14 Mar 1945-08 May 1945)
In Allied Captivity then Prison, Sentenced to 20 Years Imprisonment by US Military Tribunal at Nuremberg (Case Number 7, the Balkan Generals) for alleged War Crimes in Greece (08 May 1945-03 Feb 1951)
Released Early (03 Feb 1951)

Decorations & Awards:
- RK des Kgl. Württembg. Militär-Verdienstorden
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Spange zum EK II
- Spange zum EK I
- Kgl. Rumän. Orden “Michael der Tapfere” III. Klasse: 19.09.1941


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