(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalmajor Heinrich Claes
Born: 01 Jan 1884 in Mühlhausen, Thuringia (Thüringen)
Died: 31 Jul 1969 in Bad Godesberg
Promotions:
Fähnrich (18 Oct 1904); Leutnant (18 Aug 1905); Oberleutnant (18 Feb 1913); Hauptmann (24 Dec 1914); Charakter als Major (30 Oct 1919); Major (30 Nov 1934); Oberstleutnant (01 Jan 1938); Oberst (01 Sep 1940); Generalmajor (01 Mar 1944)
Career:
Entered the Army as an Fahnenjunker and Company-Officer in the 70th Infantry-Regiment (03 Mar 1904-01 Apr 1909)
Battalion-Adjutant in the 70th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1909-30 Sep 1911)
Detached to the War Academy (01 Oct 1911-14 Jul 1913)
Flying-Observer-Training with the Flying-Station Metz (15 Jul 1913-30 Sep 1913)
Aircraft-Observer with the 3rd Field-Flying-Battalion (02 Aug 1914-21 Mar 1915)
Shot Down, in Hospital then Director of a Flying-Observer-School (21 Mar 1915-15 Sep 1915)
Squadron-Leader with Bomber-Wing 2 of the OHL (Kagohl II) (16 Sep 1915-27 May 1916)
Leader of the Flying-Battalion 25 and A 274 (28 May 1916-16 Feb 1917)
Advisor with the Staff of the Commanding General of the Air Force in the Grand Headquarters (17 Feb 1917-21 Oct 1917)
Chief of the Flying-Radio-Department and Representative of the Commanding General of the Air Force in Radio-Committee of the Field Army (22 Oct 1917-06 Nov 1918)
Flying-Group-Leader of the 4th Army (07 Nov 1918-1919)
Retired (30 Oct 1919)
Entered Luftwaffe Service as a Supplemental-Officer (on 01 Dec 1940 was Fully Activated) and Advisor for Radio and Radio Navigation Affairs in the Operations-Office LA/NVW of the Luftwaffe General Staff (30 Nov 1934-31 Dec 1938)
Instructor at the Luftwaffe-School in Berlin-Gatow and at the same time Advisor with the Chief of Communication-Affairs of the Luftwaffe, RLM (01 Jan 1939-18 Sep 1939)
Advisor I/NVW in the Staff of the Commander of Luftwaffe with Army-Group North (19 Sep 1939-02 Oct 1939)
Signals-Leader with Air-Region-Command III and Commander of the 3rd Air-Region-Signals-Regiment (03 Oct 1939-07 Aug 1940)
With the Staff of Air-Fleet-Command 2 (08 Aug 1940-30 Nov 1940)
Signals-Leader with Air-Region-Command VI (01 Dec 1940-31 Dec 1942)
Wehrmacht-Signals Leader with the Wehrmacht-Commander in the Netherlands (01 Jan 1943-08 May 1945)
In Western Allied captivity (08 May 1945-00 Mar 1947)
Released (00 Mar 1947)
Decorations & Awards:
Ritterkreuz des Königlichen Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
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