Heinrich Anton Wilhelm Johannes von Behr

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Heinrich von Behr
Heinrich von Behr.jpg
Birth date 8 September 1887(1887-09-08)
Place of birth Königsberg, Province of East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 16 January 1951 (aged 63)
Place of death Munich, Bavaria, West Germany[1]
Allegiance  German Empire
 Weimar Republic
 National Socialist Germany
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Reichskolonialflagge.png Schutztruppe
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Freikorps Flag.jpg Freikorps
War Ensign of Germany (1921–1933).png Preliminary Reichswehr
Polizei in der Weimarer Republik.jpg Police
Balkenkreuz.jpg Heer
Years of service 1907–1945
Rank Lieutenant General
Battles/wars Campaigns in Kamerun
World War I
World War II
Awards Iron Cross
War Merit Cross (1939)
Relations ∞ 1922 Lisa Neuland

Heinrich Anton Wilhelm Johannes von Behr (8 September 1887 – 16 January 1951) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, the Schutztruppe, the Imperial German Army, the Freikorps, the Reichswehr, the Police and the Wehrmacht, finally Lieutenant General of the Heer in World War II. He must not be confused with General Heinrich Alexander Ferdinand Baron von Behr.

Life

Heinrich von Behr II.jpg
Heinrich von Behr, BArch PERS 6438 I.jpg
Heinrich von Behr, BArch PERS 6438 II.jpg

After attending elementary school, Heinrich von Behr attended Gymnasiums in Berlin-Schöneberg, Frankfurt an der Oder, Charlottenburg, Merseburg and Halle an der Saale. He achieved his Abitur in the spring of 1907. Just weeks later, he joined the Anhaltisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 93 as an officer candidate. On 1 September 1907, he was commanded to the war school in Engers (Rhineland). From 1911 to 1913, he attended several courses with the infantry shooting school, the Füsilier-Regiment "General-Feldmarschall Graf Blumenthal" (Magdeburgisches) Nr. 36 and the Magdeburgisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 4. From 15 April to 15. August 1913, von Behr was detached to a seminar for Oriental Languages in Berlin.

On 6 March 1914, he left the army (this step was considered mandatory, but in fact the period of service continued to be counted) and joined Schutztruppe for Kamerun on 7 March 1914. As of 4 August 1914, he belonged to the battalion under Karl Gaisser. On 15 November 1914 (1,247 enemy troops occupied Buea in the mountainous region, 1,200 German soldiers were captured), von Behr was captured by the British and became a POW. In November 1917, he was transferred to Switzerland where he was interned until 31 May 1918.

After returning to Germany and receiving some leave, he was released from Schutztruppe services on 8 July 1918 and rejoined the Imperial German Army on 9 July 1918. He was transferred to the 6. Thüringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 95 and on the same day assigned to the Army Group Eichhorn-Kiev, occupation force in Ukraine. Most German troops left the country between December 1918 and January 1919, leaving it virtually unprotected from Bolshevik Red Terror.

On 12 March 1919, he joined the Freikorps and served with the Freiwilligen Bataillon (Volunteer Battalion) Altenburg. On 1 October 1919, he was transferred to the 104th Reichswehr-Rifle-Regiment. On 7 January 1920, he was commanded to the Berlin police (Sicherheitspolizei) for informational training purposes. On 1 February 1920, he officially joined the police. On 1 April 1921, he was commanded to the Higher Police School Eiche. On 15 October 1935, he was taken over by the Wehrmacht and appointed commander of the I. Battalion/12th Infantry-Regiment.

WWII (chronology)

  • 24 May with effect from 1 June 1937 Appointed commander of the Infanterie-Regiment 45/21. Infanterie-Division
  • 7 December with effect from 15 December 1940 Appointed commander of the Division Nr. 173
  • 20 February 1944 Führerreserve (OKH)
    • at the same time commanded to Military District Command XIII as Chief of Staff for the Establishment of the Milowitz Division
  • 15 March 1944 Spa stay in Bad Mergentheim (first four, later expanded to eight weeks)
  • 12 April 1944 At disposal of the Military District Command I
    • 26 April 1944 Not available for action before 15 May 1944 due to illness and spa stay.
  • 9 July 1944 to 30 August 1944 Commanded to Military District Command XIII as Chief of Staff for the Establishment of the Grafenwöhr Division
  • 4 February with effect from 3 February 1945 Appointed commander of the Divisions-Stab z. b. V. 614 (Special-Purpose-Division-Staff)
    • When the division was renamed the 325th Infantry Division, he remained commander of the division's troops stationed in Denmark. On 7 May 1945, he was ordered to lead March Group F from North Jutland during the evacuation of Denmark.[2]
  • 8 May 1945 to 1947 POW[3]

Family

Heinrich was born the son of the President of the General Commission in Merseburg, Privy Senior Government Councillor and President of the State Cultural Office Konrad Emil Ludwig von Behr (1852–1929) and his wife (∞ Rheinsberg 20 April 1882) Anna Marie, née Brauns (b. 5 May 1855 in Rheinsberg). He had two siblings:[4]

  • Heinrich Theodor Konrad Eberhard (b. 22 January 1883 in Schneidemühl), killed in action on 22 November 1914 near Andrespol as 2nd Lieutenant and battalion adjutant
  • Anna Marie Luise Elisabeth (b. 4 July 1884 in Königsberg)

Marriage

On 27 May 1922 in Berlin, Police Captain von Behr married his fiancée Lisa Henriette Neuland (b. 20 May 1901 in Spandau), daughter of Major General Rudolf Paul Friedrich August Fedor Neuland (1862–1948). They had two children:[5]

  • Dietrich Konrad Eberhard Heinrich (b. 30 August 1923 in Berlin)
  • Jutta Annamarie (b. 28 December 1935 in Blankenburg am Harz)

Promotions

  • 13 May 1907 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 29 August 1907 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (Officer Candidate with Corporal/NCO/Junior Sergeant rank)
  • 27 January 1908 Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 19 November 1908 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
  • 22 March 1915 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 9 July 1918 Hauptmann (Captain) with effect from 25 February 1918 (Highest Cabinet Order [A.K.O.] from 3 July 1917)

Police

  • 20 June 1921 Polizei-Hauptmann (Captain of the Police)
  • 18 December 1926 Polizei-Major (Major of the Police) with effect from 1 November 1926
  • 1 April 1935 Polizei-Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel of the Police)

Wehrmacht

  • 15 October 1935 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 18 January 1937 Oberst (Colonel) with effect from 1 January 1937
  • 20 October 1940 Generalmajor (Major General) with effect from 1 November 1940
  • 16 October 1942 Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) with effect from 1 November 1942

Awards and decorations

References

  1. ↑ Death certificate, Standesamt München III (Nr. 185/1951) with the date of death 16 January 1951
  2. ↑ von Behr, Heinrich
  3. ↑ Generalleutnant Heinrich von Behr
  4. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, Teil A (Uradel), 1916, p. 40
  5. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, Teil A (Uradel), 1940, p. 35
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