Kersten, Friedrich.

Kersten, Friedrich, born 21-08-1887 in Prenzlau,  entered the Army service, age 22, on 21-09-1909, as a Fahnenjunker in the 54^th Infantry Regiment. He was in the fields of the first war and allowed in the new Reichswehr  in between the both wars. He started World War II as an Oberst and  Army Signals Leader until 01-10-1939. Appointed as Higher Signals Leader of Bohemia and Moravia until 10-01-1941 and Army Signals Leader of the 18^th Army, under Generalleutnant Kurt Waegner  to 15-04-1941, meanwhile a Generalmajor. Kurt Waegner died age 59, on 18-06-1952, in Winsen. The 18^th Army was a part of the Army Group North, under General Field Marshal, Fedor von Bock   until early 1945, when it was subordinated to Army Group Kurland , under General Carl Hilpert

  . Hilpert was the army group’s last commander-in-chief. Hilpert surrendered himself, his personal staff, and three divisions of the XXXVIII Corps to Marshal of the Soviet Union, Leonid Govorov

  . Hilpert died two years later as prisoner in Moscow on 01-02-1947, age 58. Govorov died age 58 too, on 19-03-1955, in Moscow. The 18^th army was encircled by the Red Army offensives and spent the remainder of the war in the Courland Pocket. Higher Signals Leader of France until 15-09-1943 and landed in the Führer Reserve OKW (see Adolf Hitler) (did you know), OKW under command of Generalfeldmarschall der Artillerie, Wilhelm Keitel

. He became commander of POW’s Military District XI to 20-11-1944 and again in the Reserve, to 31-03-1945. He was retired on 31-03-1945 but still Kersten was in captivity from 07-04-1945 to 08-07-1945, released in prison again from 20-11-1945 and finally released on 08-07-1947.

Living in Bad Oeyenhausen, he at the old age of 87 died, on 03-12-1947 and is buried with his wife Hedwig, born Palleske, who died age 75 on 01-07-1969, on the Cemetery Altstadt of Bad Oeyenhausen.

 

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