Max Wünsche

[eindhoven]

Is anyone planning a biography of this soldier? There was once a website out there but it closed. Career wise he is just as colorful as Kurt Meyer, just as brave having won up to the RK, although I get conflicting reports on whether he was just recommended for the Eichenlaub or did recieve it.

[Max Williams]

If you use the search facility above, you will find a lot of information on him.
Max

[mulisch]

SS-StandartenfUhrer Max Wünsche

He received eichenlaub als SS-Obersturmbannführer und Kommandeur des SS Panzerrregiments 12, in der 12. SS Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend".
He was the 548 to get it, the date of receiving was 11.8.1944.

Mulisch

[Snarka]

I've found here in the Forum that Max Wünsche was married to Ingeborg. Maybe you know, if they had any children? And maybe you could tell something more about his postwar life? The only fact I've found is this: "Wünsche survived the war, and became a manager of a industrial plant in Wuppertal, Germany. He died in Munich on the 17th of April 1995. He was 80 years old." (From here.)

[Georg_S]

He and Ingeborg had 6 daughters or was it 8. Don´t remember exactly.

//Georg

[Tom Houlihan]

I'm not overly familiar with him, but from what I've seen recently, a good bio with some new photos would be mighty interesting!

[Mr Holmes]

He was featured in a TR documentary hosted by Edward Woodward in the early 90's (I'll post the full details of the doco this weekend if you want). From what I gather, he remained pro-NS to the end, for in the documentary he supports the theory that Hitler knew nothing of the organising of Kristallnacht. He was very handsome in his heyday and was AH's adjutant up until 1940 (if I remember correctly).

[Georg_S]

According to some sources did Hitler try to get Wünsche exchanged with some English officers after that he been captured after the Battle of Falaise. Why that didn´t occure is unknown to me. That point out that even AH valued Wünsche very high. Because this is the only try from AH himself to arrange such prisonersexchange. Correct me if I am wrong.

A short history about his life:
But even me have a lot of interesst of this man, he had an remarkebly life, joined the SS-VT in 1934 SS-rgt. Deutschland shortly afterwards was he trans. to LSSAH, a couple of years after SS-JST he was apointed to Führerdienst first as OO and the later Adjutant. After that incident wich Albert Bormann was involved Wünsche came back to LSSAH, but shortly after that he became Sepp Dietrichs adjutant (many photos of that from Greece), He served in following units: 15. Krad.Komp LSSAH, Stug.Abt LSSAH, I.Pz.Abt. LSSAH and SS-Pz.Rgt. 12 he was captured in august 44, and after a day or two he was put in front of B Montgomery who very angry explained to Wünsche that he treated thje German POWS after the Geneve konvention but not the SS who was political scums and worms (Source: H Meyer), and would be treated after that. He was later transferred to England where he soon meet Pz.Meyer after his capture.
He was released as POW in 1948 and seattled down in München.
Some of the awards:
Ek II & I
DKiG
RK + EL (Soem sources even say that he was rec for the Swords, but he was captured before he could get it.)
Verwundet Abz im ?? (Silber)
Infanteriesturm.abz.
He ended the war as SS-Standartenführer

Best regards,

Georg

Ps. Rumours say that he made some tapes about his life and his point of view about AH during the 70´s, but i it´s a fact or rumours is unknown to me. But as many other Adjutants he never said anything about hiss time at the FHQ.

[Reader3000]

information about a planned biographie book and that documentary would be very cool.

[Snarka]

He and Ingeborg had 6 daughters or was it 8.

Ouch! :))))

Well... actually this happens. I've heard it is related to some problem in the Y-chromosome, or something like that. Some rare men are unable to beget a male child. I even know such a man personally. He is quite fond of children, and he's got already 4 daughters (from two different women, btw :). But he is, to his sorrow, unable to have a son.

He was very handsome in his heyday and was AH's adjutant up until 1940 (if I remember correctly).

He is called Hitler's Orderly, at this site: http://home.att.net/~SSPzHJ/MaxWunsche.html
(Actually, this page is the best biography of Wünsche, that I've found). If I understand correctly, Orderly Officer is something lower than Adjutant. Somebody who is supposed to run here and there with small errands. (Sorry, my understanding of military positions is very poor :). However, on a couple of well-known photos it seems that Wünsche was something more like a companion, than a kind of servant.

Hitler try to get Wünsche exchanged with some English officers after that he been captured after the Battle of Falaise. Why that didn?t occure is unknown to me. That point out that even AH valued Wünsche very high. Because this is the only try from AH himself to arrange such prisoners exchange.

Fascinating!!! There is a notion, that Hitler was quite loyal to some of his friends - no matter what the circumstances were. Seems that this was exactly the case: he just wanted to make safe an old companion. I don't believe that Wünsche's significance in the Reich could be that high! Nobody thought to make exchanges for Panzer-Meyer, for example, or higher prisoners.

Actually, this post is becoming MUCH more interesting that I expected :).

After that incident wich Albert Bormann was involved Wünsche came back to LSSAH

Do you have any idea, what it was?

Here is how it is given at Wünsche's page at http://home.att.net/~SSPzHJ/MaxWunsche.html

"After something of a minor scandel in which Hitler's butler complained of their being Orderly Officer's that were "not behaving correctly" Wünsche was dismissed and re-assigned to the Leibstandarte."

"Not behaving correctly"... very mysterious :). Sounds more like a Disorderly Officer rather than Orderly ;).

Montgomery who very angry explained to Wünsche that he treated thje German POWS after the Geneve konvention but not the SS who was political scums and worms

Hmmm... Already scums. I thought this idea became popular after the Malmedy affair...

Ps. Rumours say that he made some tapes about his life and his point of view about AH during the 70?s, but i it?s a fact or rumours is unknown to me.

Interesting rumours :)

Georg, thank you very much for such a collection of small, but telling facts! :) Of course, it would be good to see some more :)

A well-known photo, of course - but it feels right to post at least one picture in a thread dedicated to a particular person :). I like this one best.

[Tom Houlihan]

Wasn't somebody on here researching him? Or maybe it was Feldgrau. Either way, if someone's on it, let's give him some support. This could be an interesting read.

[Reader3000]

Tom, the froum member "HESSIAN" wanted to bring out a biography of Wünsche, but I did not hear from him in the last 1 1/2 years, so dunno if he's still around or not.

[Tom Houlihan]

... but I did not hear from him in the last 1 1/2 years, so dunno if he's still around or not.

Maybe he's been busy working on the bio???

[Acolyte]

He and Ingeborg had 6 daughters or was it 8. Don´t remember exactly.

//Georg

It would be cool to see sources...

[Herr Kommandant]

No matter how much I read about Max Wunsche I never got an answer to these 2 never-ending questions:

- What was E-X-A-C-T-L-Y his job with the Fuhrer?

- What the hell happened to have him transfered to LSSAH?


I never got a straight answer.... :roll: