Erich

Erich Abberger, born 06-04-1895 in Cologne , started his military career on 24-03-1914, 19 years old, as a Fahnenjunker, Fahnenjunker's are mostly nobility people with an officer rank in distance. He in the fields of the first war with the 8^th st Pioneer Basttalion, was heavy wounded in World War I, in hospital from 20-10-1915 until 01-03-1916. He became the Company leader of the 1^st Reserve Company and taken ill, transferred into the 8^{th  Replacement Pioneer Battalion}   Replacement Pioneer Battalion and ended World War I as an Oberleutnant and the Wounded Medal in Black. After World War I, Germany was allowed only an army of 100.000 men, the Reichswehr,   Abberger was one of them and climbed up his way to the higher ranks. Hauptmann on 01-02-1928, Major on 01-11-1934 and Oberstleutnant from 01-08-1937. Till World War II  started he was 2 years the Director of Officer Courses at the Pioneer school I in Berlin Karlshorst and assigned as Army Pioneer Officer of the 5^th  Army from 26-08-1939, From 01-10-1939 he was the Group Director with the General of Pioneers and Fortresses with the Chief of Army Armaments and Army Pioneer Leader of the 11^th  Army. On 01-07-1940 he was promoted to Oberst and landed, in December 1942, in the Führer Reserve (see Adolf Hitler) of the Wehrkreis III, Military District III, Commander there was General Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild (see Hauenschild).  Abberger's son Gert-Otto, a Lieutenant, was already killed in Russia age 23 in 1941. Abberger became the Major General rank in 010-01-1944 and was the Higher Pioneer Officer 3. Not involved in big battles, he played his role and was most busy as a administrator (see Did you know). At the end of the war on 08-05-1945 taken prisoner and he stayed as POW in the English Island Farm Camp 198, a prison camp for officers, until 1947.    He at last was released on 27-06-1947. Erich Abberger reached the high age of 93 and died on 03-05-1988 in Mainz and is buried in Mainz, on the Laubenheim cemetery.