(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalmajor Dipl.Ing. Gerhard Bassenge
Born: 18 Nov 1897 in Ettlingen
Died: 13 Mar 1977 in Lübeck
Diploma In Engineering: 14 Apr 1927
Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (04 Oct 1914); Fähnrich (27 Jan 1915); Leutnant (27 Jan 1915); Oberleutnant (01 Apr 1925); Hauptmann (01 Feb 1932); Major (01 Feb 1935); Oberstleutnant (01 Apr 1937); Oberst (01 May 1939); Generalmajor (01 Jan 1943)
Career:
Accepted into the Army as Officer-Aspirant and Company-Officer and Platoon-Leader in the 29th Infantry-Regiment (04 Oct 1914-31 Mar 1916)
Pilot-Training and Pilot in the Fighter-Squadron ‘Boelcke’, wounded on November 1917 (01 Apr 1916-30 Apr 1919)
With the Air-Base at Döberitz (01 May 1919-16 Jul 1920)
Platoon-Leader in the 3rd Light-Motor-Transport-Company (17 Jul 1920-30 Sep 1920)
Company-Officer in the 3rd Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-30 Sep 1922)
Detached to Studies at the Technical College in Hannover (01 Oct 1922-31 Mar 1927)
Detached to the RWM (01 Apr 1927-31 Mar 1928)
With the Staff of the Commander of Münster (01 Apr 1928-01 Oct 1928)
With the Staff of the 6th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1928-31 Jan 1932)
Company-Chief in the 6th Infantry-Regiment (01 Feb 1932-31 Dec 1933)
Transferred into the Luftwaffe as Group-Director and Advisor in the RLM (01 Jan 1934-28 Feb 1937)
Commander of the Flying-School and Parachute-School I, at Stendal, and at the same time, was Parachute-Base-Commandant of Stendal (01 Mar 1937-31 May 1938)
Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and C-in-C Luftwaffe (01 Jun 1938-30 Sep 1938)
With the Luftwaffe General-Staff, RLM (01 Oct 1938-31 May 1939)
Chief Of Staff of the Air-Region-Command XVII, Vienna (01 Jun 1939-29 Jan 1940)
Chief of the General-Staff of Air-Fleet 2 (30 Jan 1940-31 Jul 1940)
Chief of the General-Staff of Air-Fleet 5 (01 Aug 1940-04 Oct 1940)
Chief of Staff of the German Luftwaffe-Mission in Rumania (05 Oct 1940-23 Jun 1941)
Airport-Area-Commandant Africa (24 Jun 1941-30 Sep 1942)
Commander of the 19th Luftwaffe-Field-Division (01 Oct 1942-31 Jan 1943)
Commandant of Fortress-Area Tunis-Bizerta (Africa) (01 Feb 1943-10 May 1943)
In British captivity (10 May 1943-1947)
Released (1947)

Decorations & Awards:
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 27.07.1942 als Oberst und Flughafensbereichs-Kommandant Afrika
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Kgl. Preuss. Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Kgl. Preuss. Flieger Erinnerungs-Abzeichen
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer 1914/1918
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen
- Luftwaffe Fallschirmschützen-Abzeichen
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 01.10.1938 mit Spange “Prager Burg”
- Kriegserinnerungs-Ärmelband “Jagdstaffel Boelcke Nr. 2 1916/1918”
- Spange zum EK I
- Spange zum EK II
- Kgl. Rumän. Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen
- Slowakische Tapferkeitsmedaille II. Klasse
- Kgl. Rumän. Orden “Michael der Tapfere” III. Klasse: 19.09.1941
- Ärmelband “Afrika”


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