The last recipient of the knights cross

[Panzermahn]

Who is the last reciepent of the knights cross in WW2? Is it Henri fenet or Eugene Vaulot of the 33rd Waffen SS grenadier division charlemagne during the last day of battle of berlin?

[Requin Marteau]

Hi,

WH :

- 14/05/45, Generalmajor MACHER Robert, Chef d. Stabes AOK Ostpreussen/2. Armee,
- 01/06/45, Oberstleutnant EISGRUBER Karl, Kdr Geb Jäg Rgt 98/1. Geb Div,
- 01/06/45, Hauptmann d. Res VÖGTLE Helmut, Kdr II./Geb Jäg Rgt 99/1. Geb Div.

KM :

- 28/05/45, Kapitänleutnant MERKS Hans-Joachim, Kommandant 2. Räumbootsflottille,
- 17/06/45, Oberleutnant z. See d. Res FELLER Georg-Wolfgang, Truppenfhr i. d. 36. Minensuchflottille.

[Panzermahn]

bUT wouldn't these knights cross recipients were given documentation of their knights cross but without the Fuhrer's signature? how does the german military authorities knew the number of soldiers presented with KCs?

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Interesting!

Edward L. Hsiao

[Hans1906]

Here a long article in the german magazine "Der Spiegel" from the year 1965: (!)

DIE RUSSEN IN BERLIN 1945 / 3. Fortsetzung

Das letzte Ritterkreuz, das in der Wehrmacht verliehen wurde, erhielt ein Franzose: Unteroffizier Eugene Vaulot; er gehörte zur Division »Charlemagne«, in der französische Freiwillige zusammengefaßt waren, die auf der Seite des Dritten Reiches kämpften.

The last Knight's Cross awarded in the Wehrmacht went to a Frenchman: Sergeant Eugene Vaulot; he belonged to the "Charlemagne" division, which included French volunteers who fought on the side of the Third Reich.

Online source: https://www.spiegel.de/politik/die-russ ... 0046272804

Maybe interesting in this context, but please form your own judgement...

* Please, don't forget the state of knowledge at that time, that was in 1965, twenty years after the German capitulation.


Hans

[Jan-Hendrik]

State of research on cancelled RK-Träger

Jan-Hendrik

[VtwinVince]

Yup, lots of arguing going on over who was actually authorised to bestow the RK, and whose award was legitimate or not.