Boltenstern, Walter von.

Walter von Boltenstern, Walter von, born 26-11-1889 in Breslau , as the son of the merchant Hugo von Boltenstern and his wife Martha born Müller. He came from the noble family of Boltenstern  and entered on 14-03-1910 as a Fahnenjunker in the Queen Augusta Guards Grenadier Regiment No. 4  of the Prussian Army in Berlin. On 18-08-1911, he was promoted to Leutnant and on 22-03-1913 his transfer to the Guards Grenadier Regiment No. 5, under command of Oberst Hans von Langermann und Erlenkamp of another noble family. 

With this regiment von Boltenstern moved after the outbreak of the First World War in conjunction with the 3rd Guards Division in the neutral Belgium and participated in the conquest of Namur. Following this, von Boltenstern moved with the regiment to the Eastern Front and came here for the first time in the Battle of the Masurian Lakes  for use. After the Battle of Łódź he was transferred as a company commander in the Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 262 that was at this time on the training area Döberitz in formation. It was assigned to the 79th Reserve Division and incorporated until the end of November 1916 on the Eastern Front. Von Boltenstern had meanwhile become a Leutnant on 18-08-1915. With his regiment he was transferred to the Western Front, held until January 1917 as a reserve of the OHL and then took part in the positional fighting in Flanders and Artois. On 02-02-1917, Boltenstern became an orderly officer at the staff of the 79th Reserve Division and a year later he was transferred to the General Staff of the Division. Here remained von Boltenstern beyond the end of the war until 17-01-1919, was promoted in the meantime on 20-09-1918 to the Hauptman and then returned to the Guards Grenadier Regiment No. 5.

After the war, he joined the Reichswehr  and served as commander in different units. During World War II he was commander of the 29th Infantry Division , succeeding Generalmajor Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp, from July 1940 to September 1941. From July 1943 to May 1944 he commanded the 179th Reserve Panzer Division.  This division was stationed in France from July 1943 to May 1944 when it was disbanded and absorbed by the 116th Panzer Division. undercommand of Oberst Theodor Kretschmer  Kretschmer survived the war and died 05-12-1986, aged 85, in Schlitz, West Germany.

Death and burial ground of Boltenstern, Walter von.

Walter von Boltenstern died on 20-01-1952, age 62, in Soviet captivity in the prisoner of war camp Voikovo, Woikowo and was buried in a General cemetery in Chernzy.

Voikovo prison camp, or Camp No. 48, was a prisoner-of-war and internee camp maintained by the Main Administration for Affairs of Prisoners of War and Internees of the NKVD in the Soviet Union. The camp was designated by the Soviet authorities for the high-ranking officers of the German Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS and was unofficially known as the “Generals camp”.

The camp was situated near the city of Ivanovo, Russian SFSR  and was in operation from 1943 to 1955 when the last prisoners were repatriated to East Germany. The camp was located in an old inn and health spa and, although at times overcrowded, was dubbed “the Castle” for its relative luxury.

A few of his neighbours are Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur of Warschau, Rainer Stahel, General der Infanterie, Kommandeur 145th Infanterie Regiment, Karl Specht, Generalmajor der Wehrmacht, Grenadier Regiment 70, Louis Tronnier, Generalmajor, Commander 290th Infanterie Division, Hans-Joachim Baurmeister, Generalmajor der Infanterie, Kommandeur der XVIII Gebirgstruppe, Friedrich Hochbaum, Generalmajor and commander of the 570th Infantry Regiment. Erwin Hans Barends,    Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Commander of a Field Training Division, Friedrich Bayer, General der Infanterie, Commander 32nd Infantry Division   and L Army Corps, Hans Boeckh-Behrens, Boeckh-Behrens replaced General der Infanterie, Wilhelm Wegener    who was on his way to his headquarters when he was killed in action by Soviet ground attack aircraft on 24-09-1944, age 49. Also buried here Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Commander of the 44th Infanterie Division , Heinrich Deboi, Generalleutnant and Commander of the 431st Landesschützen Division Heinrich “Heinz” Thoma and General der Artillerie, Kommandeur IV Heeresgruppe, Max Pfeffer,

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