Runge, Wilhelm Richard.

Runge, Wilhelm, born 23-05-1888, in Torgau, the son of the retired Officer Major Richard Runge and Käthe born Schumann. He joined the Eisenbahn-Regiment Nr. 2, Hana on 15-03-1910. Transferred to the Reserve-Eisenbahn-Baukompanie 15 on 03-08-1914. He was involved in the first War as a Fahnrich with the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 2 and wounded in battle on 08-03-1915. After his recover transferred from 26-04-1915 to the Ersatz-Bataillon des Grenadier-Regiments “König Friedrich Wilhelm IV“ (1. Pommersches) Nr. 2. Again with the Ersatz-Bataillon des Eisenbahn-Regiments Nr. 2 from 13-07-1915. Promoted to Leutnant and commanded as teacher to the Fahnenjunker-Course in Döberitz from 28-08-1915. He ended the war as an Oberleutnant and Leader of the over-planned railway construction company. From 20-02-1920, commander of the 2nd Company of the Reichswehr Pioneer Battalion 1 of the Reichswehr Brigade 1, Königsberg, the Provisional Reichswehr  He was promoted to Hauptmann on 01-02-1932 and Major on 01-10-1934 became commander of the Pionier-Bataillons 18 in Glogau.On 10-11-1938 transferred to the 10.11.1938 Pionier-Geräteinspizient I in OKW From 26-08-1939 Kommandeur des Pionier-Regimentsstabs z.b.V. 617. Promoted to Oberst on 01-06-1941 and from 07-02-1942 Kommandeur of Oberbaustab 2.and became a Generalmajor. Landed in the Führer Reserve on 01-08-1943.

He was a Pioneer Commander in Army Group Mid, fighting in Russia. Runge was Field Commander 551 from 01-11-1943, Commander of Lida until July 1944 and had to retreat to Keszthely in Hungary in the Autum. Again a retreat  to Budweis in Czechia and landed in American captivity on 09-05-1945 in Winterberg, now Vimperk in Czechia and on 15-05-1945 he was transferred to Pisek, Chechia into Russian captivity and came to the prison in Woikowo.

Death and burial ground of Runge, Wilhelm Richard.

On 20-05-1949 Wilhelm Runge, in Minsk, was condemned to twenty five years in a laborcamp. Runge died there in Camp 48, Woikowo, after a severe illness, at the age of 66, on 27-08-1954, already 11 years in prison. One year later Chancellor Konrad Adenauer    succeeded to bring home the last prisoners to Germany. All Generals who died in Russian prisons are buried on the special cemetery of Cherntsy, Wilhelm Richard Runge, in Grave 3 of Row 3. A few of his neighbours are Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur of Warschau, Rainer Stahel, General der Infanterie,Kommandeur 145^th Infanterie Regiment, Karl Specht, Generalmajor der Wehrmacht, Grenadier Regiment 70, Louis Tronnier, Generalmajor, Commander 290^th Infantrie 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 32^nd 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 44^th Infanterie Division , Heinrich Deboi, Generalmajor Walter von Boltenstern  commander of the 179th Reserve Panzer Division. Generalleutnant and Commander of the 431st Landesschützen Division Heinrich “Heinz” Thoma and General der Artillerie, Kommandeur IV Heeresgruppe, Max Pfeffer,

Whether Generalmajor Siegfried Runge, a look a like, was his older brother could not be determined with any certainty. Siegfried died 24-03-1945, age 60, near Königstädten, Kreis Groß-Gerau, fatally hit by shrapnel.

   There is also a grave of honour for Wilhelm Runge on the cemetery “Uncle Tom” in Dahlem, Berlin, where his wife Ruth, who died age 71, on 09-02-1974, is buried. In 2002 Runge’s son Christian Michael, born 1936 and his grandson Philipp, visited the gravesite in Russia, an emotional trip. The graveside has 30 graves, two officers German officer, 28 Generals, among them four Japanese Generals, Nogutschi, Tahasi, Karasawa and Siena, who all died more than ten years after the end of the war, in Russian captivity. Philipp Runge sent me kindly the very interesting information and his grandfather’s grave picture and other graveyard pictures too.

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