Meyer-Rabingen, Hermann “Johann”.

Meyer-Rabingen, Hermann, born 07-08-1887 in Rotenburg, Rümme an der Rümme, , son of the district court director Adolf Meyer-Rabingen and his wife Margarete, entered the Army Service on 02-09-1906 as a Fahnenjunker in the Infantry Regiment “Markgraf Karl”, 7th Brandenburg, No. 60 , age 19. There, he was promoted to Leutnant on 27-01-1908. On 15-10-1912, Meyer was sent to Berlin, Josef Goebbels (did you know)  was the Gauleiter there, to a seminar for oriental languages. Since 10-05-1913, he served in the Colonial Army, in German East Africa with the 9^th Field Company, in Usumbura.  There, he rose to Hauptmann since 18-04-1917 and Department Leader under Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, Commander of the Schutztruppe for German East Africa. After the war , Meyer retired from the Army Service in 1919. He led for a short time as Chief of the Third Company in the Freikorps Lettow-Vorbeck.  General of the Infantry  died age 64, on 09-03-1964, in Hamburg.

 Meyer was taken over in the Reichswehr and in the 6^th Infantry Regiment. He served there as Chief of the 7^th Company in Eutin. On 01-04-1930, his promotion to major, as well as his transfer to the Staff of the 3^rd Cavalry Division,  followed in Weimar. in 1923, Then he changed his name to Meyer-Rabin. As an Oberst he commanded the 109^th Infantry Regiment from 01-05-1937, until 25-10-1939, in Karlsruhe. Then Meyer-Rabin, Germany served as Commander of the 431^st Infantry Division  and from 01-12-1939 to 01-04-1942 as Commander of the 197^th Infantry Division . Meyer-Rabin, received the Knight Cross of the Iron Cross, on 12-01-1942 as Generalleutnant and Commander of the 197^th Infantry Division.  He was succeeded by General der Infanterie Ehrenfried-Oskar Böge   and appointed to commander of the 159^th Reserve Division from 20-09-1942 until 20 June 1944. From 01-07-1944, he led the 404^th Division and on 01-02-1945, he was given the command as a Combat Commander in Frankfurt an der Oder, which he held until 12-02-1945. As Commander of the 404^th Infantry Division, he was taken prisoner of war. General der Infanterie Ehrenfried-Oskar Böge  survived the war and died 31-12-1965 , aged 76.

Death and burial ground of Meyer-Rabingen, Hermann “Johann”.

 Generalleutnant Hermann-Meyer Rabingen standing in a beautiful US-made Buick Special serie 60 (1938) model 66C 4-passenger Convertible Coupe staff car with the license plate WH (Wehrmacht Heer) 707165, while his driver posed beside him. At the end of the war he was taken prisoner, from which he was released on 01-08-1945.In 1952 Hermann Meyer-Rabingen was elected mayor of Melle as a non-party member. He held the office until 1956. Meyer-Rabingen here with Field Marshal Erwin Rommel,  released he lived in Eutin where he at the age of 73 died, on 21-02-1963 and is buried with his wife Elisabeth, born Schambach, on the Stadtfriedhof of Eutin. Only steps away the graves of the Generalmajor der Infanterie, Kommandeur 326^th Volksgrenadier Division, Dr Erwin Kaschner

    General der Flieger, Kommandeur Luftwaffe, Alfred Mahncke, Vice Admiral,Kommandeur Kreuzer Emden, Werner Lange and Generalleutnant der Luftnachrichtentruppe, Kommandeur Luftflotte Kommando 6, Curt Schubert.