Erich Freiherr von Falkenstein
| Erich Freiherr[1] von Falkenstein | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Erich Karl Paul von Falkenstein |
| Birth date | 13 April 1877 |
| Place of birth | Königsberg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Death date | 17 November 1945 (aged 68) |
| Place of death | Lüdinghausen, Province of Westphalia, Allied-occupied Germany |
| Allegiance |  German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
|
| Service/branch | .png){kind=small} Prussian Army  Imperial German Army.png){kind=small} Reichswehr Heer
|
| Years of service | 1897–1943 |
| Rank | Generalmajor |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Iron Cross |
| Relations | ∞ 1902 Antonie Wilhelmine Maria Schmidt ∞ 1920 Elisabeth "Elly" von Apell |
Erich Karl Paul von Falkenstein, since 1891 Freiherr von Falkenstein[2] (b. 13 April 1877 in Königsberg in Ostpreußen; d. 17 November 1945 in Lüdinghausen), was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Generalmajor of the Heer in WWII.
Contents
Military career (chronology)
- Entered Army Service after visiting the cadet corps (13 Mar 1897)
- Leutnant in the 7th Company/13th Infantry-Regiment; Adjutant of the III. Battalion of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (13 Mar 1897-01 Oct 1912)
- 7. Kompanie/Infanterie-Regiment „Herwarth von Bittenfeld“ (1. Westfälisches) Nr. 13 in Münster[3]
- Hauptmann with the Staff of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1912-01 Oct 1913)
- Company-Chief (machine gun company) in the 7th Jäger-Battalion (01 Oct 1913-1914)
- Company and Battalion Leader during WWI (1914-1918)
- Transferred into the 14th Infantry-Regiment/Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 14 as Battalion Commander (01 Oct 1919-01 Oct 1920)
- Transferred into the 16th Infantry-Regiment as Battalion Commander (01 Oct 1920-01 Oct 1922)
- Commander of the III. Battalion of the 17th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1922-01 Oct 1923)
- Commander of the III. Battalion of the 18th Infantry-Regiment in Bückeburg (01 Oct 1923-01 Apr 1927)
- Commandant of the Troop-Exercise-Grounds at Munsterlager (01 Apr 1927-31 Mar 1930)
- Kommandant des Truppenübungsplatzes Munsterlager
- Retired (31 Mar 1930)
- Employed by the Army (01 Apr 1930); Territorial-Officer/L-Offizier (01 Oct 1933); Active-Officer/Ergänzungs-Offizier (01 Oct 1935)
- With Military-District-Command IV, Münster (01 Apr 1930-01 Oct 1935)
- Commander of Field-Equipment-Command VI, Münster (01 Oct 1935-30 Apr 1943)
- Leiter der Heeresfeldzeugverwaltung VI, as of 10 November 1938 Kommandeur des Feldzeugkommandos VI (Münster)
- Retired (30 Apr 1943)
Family
Erich was the son of Hauptmann a. D. Sigismund Franz Wilhelm Maria Maximilian von Falkenstein (1826–1902) and his wife (∞ 13 April 1872) Therese Marie Margarete, née Zerwes (b. 30 November 1851 in Ehrenbreitstein).
Marriages
2nd Lieutenant Freiherr von Falkenstein married on 25 November 1902 in Münster his fiancée Antonie Wilhelmine Maria Schmidt (1879–1919). They had three children:
- Sigismund Hans Balduin Maria (1903–1972), Generalmajor of the Wehrmacht and Brigadegeneral of the Bundeswehr
- Ilse Marie Frieda (b. 10 February 1906 in Coesfeld)
- Werner Karl Joseph Maria (2 February 1910 in Münster), Merchant
On 18 September 1920 in Bückeburg, the widower Major Freiherr von Falkenstein married Elisabeth "Elly" von Apell (1888–1971). They had one daughter:
- Mechtildis Luise (b. 25 August 1921 in Minden)[4]
Promotions
- Leutnant (13 March 1897)
- Oberleutnant (18 May 1907)
- Hauptmann (1 October 1912)
- Major (18 October 1918, rank seniority)
- Oberstleutnant (1 February 1926)
- Oberst (1 October 1929)
- Oberst a. D./L-Angestellter (1 April 1930)
- Oberst a. D./Landesschutzoffizier (1 October 1933)
- Oberst/Ergänzungsoffizier (5 March 1935 with rank seniority from 1 October 1929)
- Oberst (1 October 1935)
- Generalmajor (1 April 1941)
Awards and decorations
- Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille)
- Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
- Bavarian Military Merit Order, 4th Class with Swords (BMV4⚔/BM4⚔)
- Saxon Albert Order (Albrechts-Orden), Knight 1st Class with Swords (SA3a⚔)
- Cross for Faithful Service (Fürstlich Schaumburg-Lippisches Kreuz für treue Dienste 1914; SLK)
- Military Merit Cross (Großherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinsches Militärverdienstkreuz), 2nd Class (MK2)
- Prussian Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight's Cross with Swords (HOH3⚔)
- Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1918) in Black
- Prussian Service Award Cross for 25 years (Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz)
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), Special Class for 40 years
External links
- Freiherr von Falkenstein, Erich, Lexikon der Wehrmacht
References
- ↑ Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a title of German nobility (Deutscher Adel), somtetimes translated as Baron, not a first or middle name, but connected with the surname, for example Sigismund Freiherr von Falkenstein, not Freiherr Sigismund von Falkenstein. The female forms are Freifrau, if married, and Freiin, if not.
- ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser (Deutscher Uradel), 1922, p. 259
- ↑ Erich Freiherr von Falkenstein
- ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, Teil A, 1939–1940, p. 135
