I have General Friedrich Ferch as Chief of Staff 18th Army at Leningrad but cannot find any reference to him on the excellent JN Houterman or Mikes ABR sites (or anywhere else).
Any experts out there give me any biographical info?
He was released by the Soviets in Oct 1955
Regards
Researcher
Anyone heard of General Friedrich Ferch?
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Dieter Zinke
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Hello! Here's a biographical sketch from the sources cited below.
Best regards,
Shawn
Generalleutnant Friedrich Foertsch
Born: 19 May 1900, Drahnow/Kreis Deutsch-Krone
Died: 14 December 1976, Goslar
Note: Younger brother of General der Infanterie Hermann Foertsch (4 April 1895-27 December 1961).
Promotions:
• Fahnenjunker: 21 May 1918
• Fähnrich: 1 January 1921
• Leutnant: 1 April 1922 (19)
• Oberleutnant: 1 February 1927 (33)
• Hauptmann: 1 April 1934 (30)
• Major: 1 August 1938 (11) – RDA later changed to 1 April 1938
• Oberstleutnant: 1 November 1940 (27)
• Oberst: 1 June 1942 (22)
• Generalmajor: 1 June 1944 (16)
• Generalleutnant: 1 March 1945
• Generalmajor (Bundeswehr): 1 January 1956
• Generalleutnant (Bundeswehr): 1 December 1958
• General (Bundeswehr): 9 May 1961
Commands & Assignments:
• 21 May 1918: Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker in the 8. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.175.
• 1919: Member of the Freikorps “Hindenburg.”
• 1 January 1921: Fähnrich in the 17th Infantry Regiment.
• 1 October 1927: Adjutant of the III. (Jäger) Battalion of the 17th Infantry Regiment.
• 1 October 1932-1935: Detached to the War Academy.
• 15 April 1935: Detached to the staff of the Commandant of Königsberg.
• 1 October 1937: Company Chief in Infantry Regiment 81 of the 15th Infantry Division.
• 1 October 1938: Transferred into the General Staff of the III Army Corps.
• 25 October 1939: Operations Officer (Ia) of the 60th Infantry Division (until 10 July 1940).
• 1 October 1940: Group Leader I on the staff of the Chief of Army Armaments and the Commander of the Replacement Army.
• 1 June 1942: Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of the 18th Army.
• 1 December 1943: Chief of the General Staff of the 18th Army (until 26 January 1945).
• 25 January 1945: Chief of the General Staff of Army Group Courland.
• 11 May 1945-9 October 1955: Prisoner of war in Soviet captivity.
• 1 January 1956: Entered the Bundeswehr and delegated with the leadership of the II Corps.
• 1 April 1957: Commander of the 2nd Grenadier Division.
• 1 January 1959: Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning and Questions of Principle in NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
• 1 April 1961: General Inspector of the Bundeswehr.
• 31 December 1963: Retired from the Bundeswehr.
Decorations & Awards:
• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 5 September 1944, Generalmajor, Chief of the General Staff of the 18th Army.
• German Cross in Gold: 10 May 1943, Oberst i.G., Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of the 18th Army.
• Iron Cross, 1st Class (1939)
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Clasp
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938
• Presumably “KURLAND” Cuff-Title
• Grand Merit Cross with Star and Shoulder Sash of the Merit Order of the Federal Republic of Germany
SOURCES:
• Bradley, Dermot; Hildebrand, Karl-Friedrich; Rövekamp, Markus. Die Generale des Heeres, 1921-1945, Band 4 (Fleck-Gyldenfeldt). Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, Germany, 1996.
• Rangliste des Deutschen Reichsheeres, 1 May 1930.
Best regards,
Shawn
Generalleutnant Friedrich Foertsch
Born: 19 May 1900, Drahnow/Kreis Deutsch-Krone
Died: 14 December 1976, Goslar
Note: Younger brother of General der Infanterie Hermann Foertsch (4 April 1895-27 December 1961).
Promotions:
• Fahnenjunker: 21 May 1918
• Fähnrich: 1 January 1921
• Leutnant: 1 April 1922 (19)
• Oberleutnant: 1 February 1927 (33)
• Hauptmann: 1 April 1934 (30)
• Major: 1 August 1938 (11) – RDA later changed to 1 April 1938
• Oberstleutnant: 1 November 1940 (27)
• Oberst: 1 June 1942 (22)
• Generalmajor: 1 June 1944 (16)
• Generalleutnant: 1 March 1945
• Generalmajor (Bundeswehr): 1 January 1956
• Generalleutnant (Bundeswehr): 1 December 1958
• General (Bundeswehr): 9 May 1961
Commands & Assignments:
• 21 May 1918: Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker in the 8. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.175.
• 1919: Member of the Freikorps “Hindenburg.”
• 1 January 1921: Fähnrich in the 17th Infantry Regiment.
• 1 October 1927: Adjutant of the III. (Jäger) Battalion of the 17th Infantry Regiment.
• 1 October 1932-1935: Detached to the War Academy.
• 15 April 1935: Detached to the staff of the Commandant of Königsberg.
• 1 October 1937: Company Chief in Infantry Regiment 81 of the 15th Infantry Division.
• 1 October 1938: Transferred into the General Staff of the III Army Corps.
• 25 October 1939: Operations Officer (Ia) of the 60th Infantry Division (until 10 July 1940).
• 1 October 1940: Group Leader I on the staff of the Chief of Army Armaments and the Commander of the Replacement Army.
• 1 June 1942: Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of the 18th Army.
• 1 December 1943: Chief of the General Staff of the 18th Army (until 26 January 1945).
• 25 January 1945: Chief of the General Staff of Army Group Courland.
• 11 May 1945-9 October 1955: Prisoner of war in Soviet captivity.
• 1 January 1956: Entered the Bundeswehr and delegated with the leadership of the II Corps.
• 1 April 1957: Commander of the 2nd Grenadier Division.
• 1 January 1959: Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning and Questions of Principle in NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
• 1 April 1961: General Inspector of the Bundeswehr.
• 31 December 1963: Retired from the Bundeswehr.
Decorations & Awards:
• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 5 September 1944, Generalmajor, Chief of the General Staff of the 18th Army.
• German Cross in Gold: 10 May 1943, Oberst i.G., Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of the 18th Army.
• Iron Cross, 1st Class (1939)
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Clasp
• Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
• Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)
• Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938
• Presumably “KURLAND” Cuff-Title
• Grand Merit Cross with Star and Shoulder Sash of the Merit Order of the Federal Republic of Germany
SOURCES:
• Bradley, Dermot; Hildebrand, Karl-Friedrich; Rövekamp, Markus. Die Generale des Heeres, 1921-1945, Band 4 (Fleck-Gyldenfeldt). Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, Germany, 1996.
• Rangliste des Deutschen Reichsheeres, 1 May 1930.
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