Ravensbrück concentration camp

Dr. Karl Klimek, SS-Obersturmführer, served at the Ravensbrück women’s concentration camp in 1943, under commandant SS-Hauptsturmführer Fritz Suhren.  He was born at Mähr-Schönberg on July 24, 1905.  In 1943, he served in the 8th SS Cavalry Division “Florian Geyer” and in 1944 the Vth SS Corps.  (The Camp Men: The SS Officers Who Ran the Nazi Concentration Camp System)

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Paul Hausser, former commander of Das Reich and at Kursk commander of the IInd SS Panzer Corps

Helmut Gnerlich was born in Hamburg on May 2, 1924.  A postal inspector by trade, he was Protestant and single, joining the Waffen-SS on April 1, 1942; he was 5’10” tall and could speak both English and Spanish.  SS-Sturmmann Gnerlich served at the 2nd SS Training and Replacement Battalion in Prague until June 25, 1943 when he transferred to the 8th (Heavy) Company in Das Reich.  Gnerlich served in a Tiger as a gunner during the Kursk Offensive.  Helmut Gnerlich was transferred to the Second Battalion of the 2nd SS Panzer Regiment on July 24, 1943.  (Waffen-SS Tiger Crews at Kursk: The Men of SS Panzer Regiments 1, 2 & 3 in Operation Citadel, July 5-15, 1943)

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Distinguished Service Cross to Colonel Harry A. Flint, 39th Infantry Regiment, US Army, for extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy on July 24, 1944 in France.  Fierce enemy resistance consisting of heavy tanks, artillery, mortar, machine gun, machine pistol and small arms fire was delaying the advance of his regiment in the vicinity of LaCour des Landes, France.  Convinced that a determined infantry could push through the hostile positions, Colonel Flint went to the battle command post of the Second Battalion to urge the troops forward.  Fearlessly exposing himself to heavy enemy fire, he moved ahead of the assault elements of the battalion to observe positions for his troops to occupy.  Calling for a tank, Colonel Flint moved along its side and directed fire on a heavily defended hedgerow and then continued alone to a group of buildings just evacuated by the enemy.  (Dying Hard: Company B, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th US Infantry Division in WWII)