Tolsdorff, Theodor, “Tolsdorff the Mad”, born 03-01-1909 in the family estate in Lehnarten
in the Province of East Prussia, a state of the German Empire (today’s Poland). Theodore was the youngest of four children and only son of Theodor Tolsdorff, an artillery officer. Tolsdorff attended the Gymnasium (advanced secondary school) in Königsberg, present-day Kaliningrad, and following the death of his father in 1919 took over the family estate.Lehnarten, Theodor went to school in Königsberg and later became a farmer. His father was a wealthy owner and soldier, he fought at the front during the First World War. When Russian troops invaded East Prussia during World War I, his mother fled west with her four children. Shortly after the First World War, Theodor’s father died, and he had to take over the estate. Theodor continued his education to become an administrator of an estate in Lehnharten. In 1934, at the age of 25, he joined the 1st Infantry Regiment as a volunteer in Insterburg. On 01-06-1934, Tolsdorff was promoted from the ranks to leutnant. During the Polish Campaign, Tolsdorff led the 14th, anti-tank-gun, Company in the 22nd Fusilier Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division,
under General Joachim Otto August Achatius Kortzfleisch
Kortzfleisch, the son of the Prussian Generalmajor Gustav Franz Achatius von Kortfleisch
, on 20-04-1945, age 55, defended himself with a machine pistol, as he was surrounded by US soldiers and was told “Hands up” he answered “no” and a US soldier shot him in the left breast.






Tolsdorff was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class
for actions against the Kamienna Góra bunker line. Soon afterwards, he earned the Iron Cross 1st Class for preventing an enemy breakout when he attacked from close range. He was wounded
in the shoulder at the end of the campaign. Tolsdorff’s unit was then transferred to the Rhineland as part of the army reserve. He participated in the French Campaign. His unit fought in Belgium and drove to the Flanders pocket, then south past Paris to the Saumur area. At the beginning of Russian Campaign, Tolsdorff again was in charge of the 14th Company. Passing through Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, he assumed command of the battalion and again was severely wounded. While in the hospital, he was promoted to Hauptmann and awarded with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross
on 04-12-1941. He returned to the front in April 1942 and participated in the heavy fighting for Schlüsselburg. After the heavy fighting at Leningrad and Lake Ladoga, Tolsdorff lost half of his right foot due to deep splinter injuries. For outstanding success in closing the Volkhov pocket in June 1942, Tolsdorff received the German Cross in gold .
On the closing days of the Volkhov battle, he again was injured, this time in the head by a bullet. Tolsdorff was forced to remain in the hospital until 20-09-1942. On 01-01-1943, Tolsdorff was promoted to Major and made commander of the 1st Battalion. Tolsdorff returned to his unit during the defensive battles at Lake Ladoga. In July 1943, the third and most difficult battle at Lake Ladoga began. After successfully fighting off a Soviet attack for fourteen days and participating in counterattacks in the neighboring sector and restoring the situation, Tolsdorff was awarded the Oak Leaves on 15-09-1943.
On New Year’s Eve 1943, the 1st Infantry Division
under Generalleutnant Martin Grase
transferred to the southern sector in the Vinnitsa-Odessa area. Grase survived the war and died age 72 on 03-08-1963, in Freiburg. Tolsdorff was placed in charge of the 1st Infantry Division’s 22nd Infantry Regiment after its commanding officer, Oberst Ulrich Iffland, had been killed. Again severely wounded, by a shot in the stomach from close range, Tolsdorff managed to return to active duty within a few weeks. He was promoted to Oberstleutnant while in the Lublin hospital. After recovering from his wounds, Tolsdorff was ordered to attend the officer cadet school at Metz. Back at the front in June 1944, Tolsdorff received orders to defend the city of Vilna. He held out long enough to evacuate the thousands of wounded from the city until relief arrived from Graf Hyazinth Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Cammintetz.
This action resulted in his promotion to Oberst and the awarding of the Oak Leaves with Swords on 18-07-1944. In early August, when Tolsdorff received the Oak Leaves with Swords
, Hitler personally ordered him to go to Hirschberg for division commanders training.

























of the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed “Screaming Eagles”
under General Maxwell Davenport Taylor.
Tolsdorff’s convoy of 31 vehicles drove down from the mountains loaded with his personal baggage, liquor, cigars, cigarettes and his girlfriends. Private Edward “Babe” Heffron, here with me and 326th Engineers C Company Captain, Joseph “Joe” Crilley
a personal dear friend, who stayed with us with his wife Suzanne for the commemoration in September 1998, took Tolsdorff’s Luger pistol and a briefcase containing Iron Cross medals and a stash of pornographic pictures.









On 09-05-1947, Tolsdorff was released from American captivity and he took various jobs, such as truck driver and construction worker, until on 07-12-1952, he was arrested. He faced charges for the execution of Hauptmann Franz Xaver Holzhey

Death and burial ground of Tolsdorff, Theodor “Tolsdorff the Mad”.




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