On 18 September 2006, Heinrich "Heinz" Trettner, the last living German General of the Wehrmacht died in Moenchengladbach, one day before his 99 birthday.
During the world war II served about 18 million soldiers in the German army and only 7,313 awards of the Knight's Cross were made, only 883 received Oak Leaves. The Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes(Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) recognized extreme battlefield bravery or successful leadership.
On 24 May 1940 received Heinz Trettner the Knight's Cross when he was Operations Officer(Ia) on the staff of the 7. Fliegerdivision(parachute troops) commanded by Generalleutnant Kurt Student. Heinz Trettner was Generalmajor(major general) and commander of the 4.Fallschirmjaeger-Division(4. paratrooper division) when he received as 586. soldier of the German army the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 17 September 1944.
On 19 September 1907 Heinz Trettner was born in Minden. In April 1925 he entered the army as Fahnenjunker and later he became Squadron Officer in the Reiter-Regiment 18 in Stuttgart-Cannstatt.
From 1932 till 1933 pilot training at the Braunschweig Flying School and he became pilot.
From 1934 till 1935 he was Adjutant of the Kitzingen Flying School and from 1935 till 1936 he was Adjutant of the Magdeburg Flying School.
From April till October 1936 he was Adjutant and Chief Personnel Officer(IIa) on the staff of the Higher Air Commander III in Dresden.
From November 1936 till September 1937 he was Adjutant and Chief Personnel Officer(IIa) on the staff of the Commander of the Legion Condor in Spain and also at the same time Commandant of the Staff Quarters of the Legion Condor.
From September 1937 till January 1938 Squadron Commander in Kampfgruppe K 88(bomber group) of the Legion Condor in Spain.
January 1938 till June 1938 General Staff training at the Air War Academy in Berlin.
From July 1938 till June 1939 Operations Officer(Ia) on the staff of the 7. Fliegerdivision(parachute troops) commanded by Generalleutnant Kurt Student.
January 1939 till December 1940 Consultant in the Inspectorate of Parachute Troops in the Reich Air Ministry.
From June 1939 till December 1940 Operations Officer(Ia) on the staff of the 7. Fliegerdivision.
December 1940 till April 1942 Operations Officer(Ia) in the General Staff of the XI Fliegerkorps(Air Corps) commanded by General der Flieger Kurt Student.
From April 1942 till September 1942 delegated with the post of Chief of the General Staff of the XI Fliegerkorps commanded by General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student.
September 1942 till October 1943 Chief of the General Staff of the XI Fliegerkorps commanded by General der Fallschirmtruppe Kurt Student.
October 1943 till May 1944 delegated with the formation and leadership of the 4. Fallschirmjaeger-Divison.
From June 1944 till May 1945 Commander of the 4. Fallschirmjaeger-Divison. The 4. Fallschirmjaeger-Divison served in Italy and fought against the Allied beachhead at Anzio-Nettuno. They fought in the area of Rome, Florence, Sienna, Rimini and Bologna.
On 3rd May 1945, Trettner's division was surrendered in the vinicity of Vicenza and Bolzano. From 3rd May 1945 till April 1948 was Trettner a prisoner of war in American and then British captivity.
In November 1956 he entered the Bundeswehr(the new German army) with the rank of Generalmajor. From November 1956 till September 1959 he was leader of the Logistics Department of the NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe.
From September 1959 till February 1960 he was at the disposal of the Leader Staff of the Army/Federal Ministry of Defense, detached for training to the staff of the III Corps in Koblenz.
March 1960 till September 1963 he was Commanding General of the I Corps in Muenster.
From October 1963 till December 1963 he was detached for training to the Leader Staff of the Armed Forces/Federal Ministry of Defense.
January 1964 till August 1966 he was General Inspector of the Bundeswehr, the highest-ranking general in Germany.
In August 1966 he retired from the Bundeswehr because he wouldn't agree with some decisions.
He became the following decorations and awards:
- Combined Pilot/Observer Badge in Gold with Diamonds from the Luftwaffe
- Spanish Breast Star to the War Cross in September 1938
- Spanish Campaign Medal in December 1938
- German Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords in June 1939
- Iron Cross 2nd Class in May 1940
- Iron Cross 1st Class in May 1940
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in May 1940
- Kreta cufftitle
- Wound Badge in Black in March 1944
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtsbericht(Armed Forces Communique) in June 1944
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with with Oak Leaves in September 1944
- U.S. Legion of Merit, Commander in November 1964
- British Royal Victorian Order in May 1965
- Greek Order of George I, Grand Officer in July 1965
- Merit Order of the Italian Republic in August 1965
- Merit Order of Germany, Grand Merit Cross with star and Shoulder Sash in January 67
- French Legion of Honor, Grand Officer in December 1969
I have met Heinz Trettner in the year 1998 during my army days as paratrooper in our barracks. He was about 90 years old, but in good condition and very kind. On the parade ground we commemorate the soldiers killed in action, listening to the military songs "Rot scheint die Sonne" and "Ich hatt einen Kameraden".
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