SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Theodor Eicke participated inwards World War I equally a paymaster. He afterwards joined the "Zollgrenzschutz":, which were engaged inwards the defence forcefulness of Germany’s eastern borders against Polish attacks next the Great War. Subsequent to this service amongst the latter formations, Eicke joined the "Schützpolizei" together with afterwards a "Detective Bureau".
Eicke had joined the "Polizei" inwards 1927 together with presently thereafter came into contact amongst the Allgemeine-SS. He became a fellow member and, compared to his beau officers, was promoted quickly. Together amongst his comrades inwards the Allgemeine-SS, equally good equally amongst the police, NCOs together with enlisted men discharged from the Reichswehr, he prepare "Hilfspolizei" squads (auxiliary constabulary units formed inwards early on 1933). These were organized to fighting Hitler’s opponents together with also to guard them after they had been arrested. Once the novel authorities had obtained power, Eicke formed so-called "SS-Hundertschaften", from which the afterwards "Totenkopfverbände" ("T.-Sturmbanne" together with "T.-Standarten") evolved. These men guarded the Oranienburg Concentration Camp most Berlin, equally good equally the army camp at Dachau, due north of München. The prisoners inwards these camps … communists, social-democrats, members of the "Reichsbanner", equally good equally other opponents of Hitler … were oftentimes subjected to cruel treatment.
It should live noted that when Eicke took over the ascendance of all concentration army camp personnel, equally good equally all SS-Totenkopfverbände, he attempted to develop these men along regular army lines, or at to the lowest degree inwards a vogue like to the grooming received past times the SS-Verfügungstruppe units. When the Reichswehr refused to number Eicke’s men amongst low-cal infantry weapons, inwards contrast to the SS-Verfügungstruppe, Eicke procured such weapons on his own, drawing upon the caches of arms hidden past times SA-troopers. Eicke also played a exercise inwards the crushing of the "Röhm Putsch", and, equally a result of laws passed after thirty June 1934, his units officially became component of the SS nether the supreme ascendance of Himmler. Up until that time, they had been straight subordinated to the supreme ascendance of the SA.
At whatever rate, past times 1938/39, Eicke’s troops had all received roughly basic military machine grooming together with had been issued amongst low-cal infantry weapons such equally rifles, carbines, pistols, WWI machine-guns, together with roughly mortars. When the Second World War broke out, Eicke formed a segmentation from the Totenkopf units, reinforced past times reserves from the Allgemeine-SS, Army reservists together with the police. The Division was partially motorized, had been constituted at Dachau (the Waffen-SS grooming base), together with had undergone total military machine grooming at Obermünsingen, Württemberg, during the wintertime of 1939/40.
On sixth Feb 1943, Eicke was on an inspection flying inwards a Fiessler-Storch when his plane was shot downwardly past times the Soviets together with crashed behind their lines. Several attempts were made past times reinforced onset squads to recover the remains of their commander. They lastly succeeded, after losing several men. Eicke was given an elaborate funeral at ane of the cemeteries of the Division most Orelka, Russia. In a vogue reminiscent of the funeral rites performed past times the ancient Germans upon the expiry of their tribesmen or kings, Theodor Eicke, or "Papa Eicke", equally his troops called him, was seat to rest.
Later, when German linguistic communication forces had withdraw, officers from the divisional staff, together amongst a few selected men, exhumed Eicke’s corpse together with brought it dorsum past times truck to Kiev. His remains were non to autumn into enemy hands! Officials from the legal department of the military machine authorities investigated this incident together with the officers responsible are said to accept been reprimanded.
Source :
http://www.historicalwarmilitariaforum.com/topic/6937-ritterkreuztr%C3%A4ger-photos-in-color-thread/?page=2
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/29942/Eicke-Theodor.htm
General der Artillerie Walter Warlimont, the boy of a publisher, was born inwards Osnabrück, Germany, on iii Oct 1894. An artillery cadet, he was commissioned into the German linguistic communication Kaiserliche Armee inwards June 1914. During the First World War he fought on the Western Front every bit a battery officer. He was promoted several times as well as progressed to hold out an brigade adjutant as well as battery commander. After the nation of war Warlimont was active inwards the right-wing Freikorps group. He remained inwards the Earth forces as well as inwards 1922 was selected for full general staff training. This included spending fourth dimension inwards England (1926) as well as the United States (1929). Promoted to Major, Warlimont sent to Espana inwards September 1936 where he worked every bit a armed forces adviser to General Francisco Franco during the early on stages of the Castilian Civil War. Warlimont returned to Nazi Deutschland inwards 1937 where he was given ascendence of the Artillerie-Regiment 26 at Düsseldorf. In September 1938 Warlimont became caput of Home Defence. The next twelvemonth he worked nether Alfred Jodl every bit deputy caput of the operations share inwards Berlin. In this usage he attended Hitler's armed forces conferences as well as drafted close of Germany's major operational plans as well as directives. Warlimont was seriously injured past times the bomb placed past times Claus von Stauffenberg on 20th July 1944. After the nation of war Warlimont was sentenced to life imprisonment for nation of war crimes. However he was released inwards 1957. His mass 'Inside Hitler's Headquarters, 1939-45' was published inwards 1964. Walter Warlimont died at Kreuth inwards Upper Bavaria on nine Oct 1976.
SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny (12 June 1908 - v July 1975) was an extraordinary armed services homo who specialized inward guerrilla warfare as well as commando-style raids during World War II. He mounted numerous operations alongside varying degrees of success that involved either the rescue, kidnapping, assassination, or defence of numerous wartime leaders inward Europe. As a result, he became Hitler’s favorite commando as well as dubbed “the close unsafe homo inward Europe” past times the Allies. Skorzeny for sure looked the part. He was an imposing figure at 6’ 4” that sported a deep scar on his left cheek from a fencing duel. Though loyal to Hitler as well as a staunch Austrian Nazi, Skorzeny would ultimately plough on his one-time compatriots as well as choke a hitman for State of Israel at the halt of the war.
Two of the Canadian Army’s prominent intellectuals from the inter-war years, from left to right: Lieutenant-Colonel (later General) H.D.G. Crerar as well as Lieutenant-Colonel (later Lieutenant-General) E.L. M. Burns, pictured hither inwards Italy, 1944. "Tommy" Burns was i of those rare individuals who rose to ascendance a corps inwards wartime. He had gained valuable fight sense during the First World War, as well as he had been decorated for gallantry inwards the field. He had a proven intellect as well as was constantly looking forward, advocating evolution as well as changes, as well as providing specific doctrine to implement those changes. He was able to fence his recommendations as well as views alongside the best armed forces thinkers of the time, as well as he was able represent his dry reason piece doing so. He was properly schooled inwards armed forces staff work, having progressed alongside distinction though diverse British as well as Indian staff schools as well as colleges. His peacetime rising through the ranks as well as his primal staff appointments provided the sense necessary to back upward a commander’s intent alongside the necessary orders as well as instructions. What he lacked was the somewhat intangible preparation to ascendance at a high level: the necessary ascendance presence to engender the confidence of his superiors as well as subordinates when he was given a golden opportunity. Burns was besides non afforded an chance to ascendance a brigade or a partitioning inwards combat, prior to having ascendance of a corps inwards battle thrust upon him. He was besides inwards the unfortunate pose of beingness the pawn inwards a political battle whereby his superior, Lieutenant- General Leese, did non desire but about other corps headquarters, peculiarly i that was a partitioning brusk inwards establishment.
