Guderian, Kurt Bernhard Georg.

Guderian, Kurt Bernhard Georg, born 17-09-1918 in Goslar, was a German officer in the Wehrmacht. He was the son of World War II Generaloberst, Heinz Wilhelm Guderian and Margarethe Christine Franziska Goerne

   Kurt and his brother Heinz Günther were sent to Karlsruhe Cadet School in Baden 01-04-1901. He became an Hauptmann in the 25^th Panzer Division under Generalleutnant der Panzertruppe, Johannes “” Hans”” Haarde.    . Haarde died age 55, on 08-02-1945. The 25^st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941-1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Africa Corps,  under Generalfeldmarschall der Panzertruppe, Erwin Rommel. After the war Kurt and family moved to America, fearing that they would be arrested or worse by the Soviet occupation forces. His son, Klaus throughout his entire life, grew up hearing the war stories of his father and grandfather, dreaming on commanding tank troops himself. When he received a copy of his grandfathers memoirs, Panzer Leader, it sparked Klaus’s willingness to seek the battlefield. Klaus was interested to attend West Point Academy   and entered at the age of 19. Once he graduated, he commanded a platoon of M48 and later M60 Tanks. In 1979, he was promoted to Captain and took charge of 1^st Battalion, 37^th AR and in 1986, the entire 37^th Armored Regiment. He participated in Operation Desert Storm, combating the Iraqi Republican Guard. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star for destroying 5 T-55s while protecting a damaged vehicle.

Kurt Guderian died at the age of 65, same age as his father, on 25-05-1984 in Selb/Oberfranken and is also buried in the family grave of the Guderians, on the cemetery Hildesheimerstrasse. Close by are the graves of SS Obergruppenführer, Reichsminister of Food and Agriculture, Walther Darré,   the WWII Generalmajor der Infanterie, Kommandeur von Dniepropetrovsk, Ernst Adolph, Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Chef Heeresgruppe “Kurland”, Friedrich Foertsch, Generalleutnant der Artillerie, Kommandeur der 404^th Infanterie Division, Adolf Hüttmann and General der Panzer, Kommandeur der 20^th Panzer Division,  Mortimer von Kessel.

  

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