Debes, Lothar.

Debes, Lothar, born on 21-06-1890 one year after Adolf Hitler (did you know), in Eichstätt, Bavaria. Debes was Armee and Waffen-SS, officer who served in both World War I and World War II. In World War II, Debes commanded the 6^th SS-Gebirgs-Division Nord,  former commander, SS Obergruppenführer, Karl Marie Demelhuber

  and the 10^th SS-Panzer-Division Frundsberg  . Lothar Debes here with Heinrich Himmler

served in World War I with the military central management of the railways for the western theatre in Brussels. Debes came to the department of K, which was concerned with the water route supply to the west front between the flandrischen coast under of the area of Verdun. Debes was unwilling to serve as a soldier in the new Weimar Republic. Instead, Debes joined the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, the NSDAP or Nazi party , on 01-05-1930 and the SS, seven years later. His longest posting in the SS was a five-year assignment at the officer’s school in Braunschweig. Between 01-01-1942 and 15-06-1944, Debes received seven different assignments and by early 1943 rated as kriegsbeschädigt, damaged by war. Iron Cross first class and second class, SS Totenkopfring  , Wounded Badge, Eastern Front Medal and the Waffen SS long Service award  and Cross in silver. On 19-12-1942, Adolf Hitler directed the organization of two new SS divisions, the 9^th Hohenstaufen , under SS Obergruppenführer, Wilhelm Bittrich

  and 10^th SS Panzer, Frundsberg, under SS Oberführer, Walter Harzer   Grenadier Divisions, to form a new reserve for Panzergruppe West. Debes was assigned as Commander of the 10^th SS Panzer Division from 15-12-1943 until 20-05-1944. SS-Gruppenführer, Gottlob Berger.

     The full 1944 establishment of a Panzer Division was 14.700 men and 100 tanks; on 17 September 9 SS Panzer had approximately 2.500 men and no tanks, whilst 10 SS Panzer had approximately 3.000 men and a few tanks. However, both were composed of seasoned veterans of Russia and Normandy, who had been specifically trained in combating airborne operations. Chief of the SS Replacement Bureau, spoke personally at various RAD camps to enlist volunteer men for these new divisions. According to Berger, involuntary methods for enlistment were not uncommon in the Hessian region. In order to stave off shortages, OKW directed the SS to lower recruitment standards and admit men that were previously considered unacceptable.

  Lothar Debes survived the war and living in Wiesbaden he died at the age of 70, on 14-07-1960 in Wiesbaden. He is buried with his wife Irmgard, born Meinhard, who died age 80 in 1969, on the Südfriedhof of Wiesbaden, next to the graves of Manfred von Richthofen and brother Lothar, the WW I Aces, the Red Baron. More WWII Generals are buried on this cemetery, General der Infanterie, Commandeur der 76^th Infanterie Division , Erich Abraham,

  Generalmajor der Artillerie, Kommandeur der 145^th Artillerie Division, Rudolf Henrici, Generalmajor der Infanterie, Director of Replacement Army Corps XII, Max von Basse, Generalmajor der Flieger, Kommandeur III Luftwaffe Ersatz Battalion, Wolf von Biedermann, Generalmajor der Infanterie, Kommandeur der 7^th Infanterie Regiment, Eberhard Bohnstedt

   

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