WILHELM GOECKE

[tomalbright]

I need additional biographical info on this officer and assignments:

Goecke, Wilhelm Ostubaf. 12. 2.98 21 529


b.HSSPF Adriatische Küste. 10.44 †22.10.44
Ostubaf. Schwelm/Westf. Kdr.K.L.Kauen 6.44 Fontana
Ostubaf. Kdr.III./Inf.Rgt.6 6.41
Stubaf. Kdr.II./Sta.”Germania” 2.35


thanks in advance

Tom Albright

[Peter]

Hello
I'm interested in his 1944/45 service but can add to your information here:

Served 1914/18, EK1, EK2, Wound Badge Silver.
SS-USF 20.4.33
SS-OSF 9.11.33
SS-HSF 30.1.34
SS-SBF 9.8.34 commanding III Stuba of 30 Standarte (Bochum)
SS-OSBF 9.11.36
SS-SF 9.11.37
in Dec 38 he was with 88-Standarte (Bremen) and was also a Staatsrat which I believe was an elected political representative.
1942 - KZ Mauthausen (staff attachment ?)

He is buried in the Costermano War Cemetery in Italy (Block 8, Grave 534).
Cheers !
Pete

[Phil Nix]

WILHELM GOECKE
Born 12.2.1898 Schwelm Westfalen
Served in Great War
Beim Freikorps Luzow 1.1919 - 12.1919
Prosecuted for the murder of four men released 1924
worked in banking and ran his own company until he had to file for bankruptcy 1928
Worked for a Swedish company to 1090 when he was dismissed for his party activities
Joined SS 11.1931
F 2/II/30 20.4.33 - 9.11.33
F V/30 to 30.1.34
FIII/30 to 1.11.34
F 8 Sta to 1.1.35
Tansferred to SS VT 1.1.35
Beim Stab II/SS Sta 2 der SS VT to 1.4.36
Dismissed from SS VT 1.4.36 for wearing illegal medals
F 88 Sta 1.4.36 - 20.10.1944
rejoined SS VT 1.12.38
F beim 1 SS Tot Sta to 1.9.39
F I/6 Tot Sta to 15.1.41
Beim SS Kampfgruppe Nord to 31.8.41
Diusmissed for being too brutal with his men
F beim 1 SS TOt Sta to 4.6.42
Kdr Arbeitslager Narwik to 7.42
Beim KZ Mauthausen to 10.42
F Kz Warschau to 10.43 (Used for Polish forced labourers)
F KZ Kauen to 6.44
Beim HSSPF Adriatisches Kurstenland to 20.10.44
Killed in action againmst Partisans Triest area 20.10.44
Philmil

[tomalbright]

Philmil..thanks for the great info!! couple og questions...when did Goecke serve in SS-Totenkopfstandarte "Oberbayern" (1938-39) and in what capacity? A battalion Kmd., perhaps? Also, in what capacity did he serve at KL Mauthausen? (guard units or camp administration?). Lastly, did he go back to KL Dachau in 1942 and in what capacity?

thanks

tom

[Phil Nix]

Goecke served with Oberbayern (! SS TOT STA) but not as a battalion or Standarteen commander as listed in my post. His file does not show in what capacity he served. The rest of his duties are as listed. No record of him returning to Dachau in 1942 and it is not known in what capacity he served at Mauthausen considering his rank it was probably in administration
Phil
Phil

[K.Kocjancic]

Does anyone has a list of his awards?

Regards,
Kocjo

[Peter]

I know that from 1914/18 he had

EK1
EK2
Wound Badge in Silver
Frontkämpfer

I believe that he had at least Spange zum EK2 1939 and I tried to discover if he had Bandenkampfabz when we looked at him a while ago but I had not managed to find out.
Pete

[K.Kocjancic]

Thanks again for your help!

Regards,
Kocjo

[TH Albright]

I also have Goecke having been awarded the German Cross in Gold (from his personnel file at NARA II) which is quite strange since he was dismissed as a battalion commander in KG Nord during that unit's disasterous 1941 debut performance in Finland. His GCG award made him the highest combat award winner in the KL system to my knowledge.

[John P. Moore]

I believe that it was Stubaf. Willi Görcke, born 7.9.1912 and not Ostubaf. Wilhelm Goecke, born 12.2.1898, who received the DKiG. In Scheibert`s book, "Die Träger des Deutschen Kteuzes in Gold", a Stubaf. Willi Goecke, is listed as being awarded the DKiG on 27.1945 as commander of the SS-Artillerie Regiment 8 "Florian Geyer". Scheibert obtained these names from the OKW award lists. 11 other members of the "Florian Geyer" received the DKiG on that date. However, there is nothing in the file of Stubaf. Willi Görcke to indicate that he was even nominated for the DKiG. The DKiG Vorschlags are not present in the files of the other 11 "FG" members. The file of Ostubaf. Wilhelm Goecke does contain a small card with his name, correct date of birth and SS # announcing award of a DKiG on 27.1.1945. Goecke was KIA as administrative officer of the Higher SS & Police Leader of the Adriatic Coast on 22.10.1944. This would have been a posthumous award of a DKiG and to a man whose career pattern did not provide the opportunity to participate in such actions that would warrant a DKiG. On the other hand, Stubaf. Görcke had been an artillery battery, battalion and regimental commander who could reasonably be expected to qualify for a DKiG. I believe that this is a case of an administrative error in posting something to a file where two men had similar names. The files of both men are included on Disk 2 of my "Führerliste der Waffen-SS" publication.

[TH Albright]

Thanks John for clearing that up. I was surprised that a man of Goecke's "modest" leadership talents and his lack of opportunity would have won so prestigous an award.

[Peter]

John
thats an extremely valuable clarification I hope that future authors dont go astray on that one.

thanks
Pete

[John P. Moore]

I was once told by Obersturmbannführer Willi Kruft that there can be a lot of information in the Personalakten/personnel files that is incorrect. The incorrect information often has to do with the period of assignments to various units. Kruft sent me a notarized statement by his former division commander, Heinz Harmel, confirming his actual end date as battalion commander and promotion to Obersturmbannführer. Sometimes information provided by the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge and old "Wiking Ruf" and "Der Freiwillige" magazines is also incorrect. That is why it is best to verify information by checking multiple sources.