Gareis, Martin.

Gareis, Martin, born 06-10-1891, in Buch near Berlin, entered the Army Service on 21-12-1909, age 18, as a Fähnrich in the 4^th Brandenburgisches Infanterie-Regiment “Großherzog Friedrich Franz II von Mecklenburg-Schwerin” Nr. 24.   As a Leutnant in the  Machine Gun Company of the 4^th Regiment, he came in the fields of the first war and was soon wounded in hospital . He ended the war with both the Iron Crosses  and as an adjutant of the 12^th Infantry Brigade.

Martin married Ilse Gareis (1895–1987) and they had one son Klaus Gareis, born 1922 and Klaus as a Leutnant died in the war, in 1942, age 19–20. He rest with his parents in a family grave

He retained in the new Reichswehr and with the outbreak of World War II he was the commander of the 282^nd Infantry Regiment. With this Regiment he came on the Western Front and in 1941 on the Eastern Front. He was awarded  with the German Cross in Gold  on 18-10-1941 and was assigned with the command of the 98^th Infantry Division   where he succeeded General Erich Schröck , until 31-12-1941. The 98th Infantry Division was created on 18-09-1939 in Gräfenwöhr. It was destroyed on the Crimea in May 1944 and reformed on 05-06-1944. General Schrock on 31-12-1941 gave his command of the 98th Infantry Division to then Oberst Martin Gareis. He was then transferred to the Führerreserve. On 01-04-1942, he was appointed as the successor to General of the Infantry Alfred Hans Petri as commander of Division No. 192 in Rostock. In mid-September 1942 he and his staff moved to Gnesen in the Warthegau. He kept his command of Division No. 192 even after the bulk of the division had been destroyed and Division No. 192 was reorganized at the beginning of 1945. After it was broken up again in February 1945, nothing is known about its further use until the end of the war. Presumably he belonged to the Führerreserve. When the German Wehrmacht surrendered in May 1945, he was taken prisoner by the Western Allies. In this he died on 06-06-1945, age 58, in the British prisoner-of-war hospital in Lüneburg. General Petri committed suicide on 05-05-1945, age 67, after arrest on 03-03-1945, by the occupation troops in the Neuendorf camp. His daughter is the actress Ilse Petri.

Gareis was promoted to Generalmajor in February 1942 and Generalleutnant on 01-03-1943. He was announced in the Army reports, he under the command of General Hasso von Manteuffel,

 in the battles of Kiev and on the Krim, distinguished himself.

He received the Iron Cross on 29-11-1943, lost his command on 01-04-1944 and landed in the Führer Reserve.  He got the command of the 264^th Infantry Division  succeeding General Otto Lüdecke , but again in the Reserve on 09-10-1944.  Ludecke survived the war and died 14-02-1971 (aged 75)

Gareis then became commander of the XXXXVI Panzer Corps and became a General of the Infantry on 01-04-1945. He landed in British captivity on 02-05-1945 and was the Communication Officer between Bernard “Monty” Montgomery    and the POW camps in England.

Martin Gareis was married with Ilse Gareis, born Tempeltey and they had one son, Klaus Gareis, 1922–1942. who died in the war.

Death and burial ground of Gareis, Martin.

  Gareis was released in the summer of 1947 and lived in Kreuth, Bavaria. Martin Gareis died at the old age of 84, on 20-02-1976 and is buried on the Ringfriedhof of Kreuth.

Martin Gareis wrote some memorial books like 

Message(s), tips or interesting graves for the webmaster:    robhopmans@outlook.com