(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalleutnant Kurt Kleinrath
Born: 14 Jun 1899 in Hannover
Died: 29 Jun 1968 in Berlin
Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (11 Jun 1917); Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (13 Jun 1917); Fähnrich (13 Jun 1918); Leutnant (17 Jul 1918); Oberleutnant (01 Nov 1922); Hauptmann (01 Oct 1933); Major (01 Aug 1936); Oberstleutnant (01 Apr 1939); Oberst (01 Jun 1941); Generalmajor (01 Mar 1943); Generalleutnant (01 Jul 1944)
Career:
Entered the Army as a War Volunteer in the 46th Field-Artillery-Regiment (29 Nov 1916-06 Mar 1917)
War Volunteer with the 17th Infantry-Cannon-Regiment (07 Mar 1917-09 Oct 1917)
Wounded, in Hospital (09 Oct 1917-13 Nov 1917)
War-Volunteer, on 16 Nov 1917 Reserve-Officer-Aspirant with the 17th Infantry-Cannon-Battery (14 Nov 1917-26 Nov 1917)
Reserve-Officer-Aspirant, on 21 Jan 1918 Officer-Aspirant and Battery-Officer in the 62nd Field-Artillery-Regiment (27 Nov 1917-30 Apr 1919)
Detached for Officer-Tests to the War School in Hannover (05 Mar 1918-25 Apr 1918)
Detached to the Field-Artillery-Firing-School Beverloo (17 Jul 1918-03 Sep 1918)
Battery-Officer in the 19th Artillery-Regiment (01 May 1919-30 Sep 1919)
With the Reichswehr-Squadron-Staff 10 (01 Oct 1919-25 Jan 1920)
Battery-Officer in the 10th Artillery-Regiment (26 Jan 1920-15 May 1920)
Retired (15 May 1920)
Reactivated as Battery-Officer in the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Nov 1922-31 Mar 1928)
Officer-Course at the Artillery-School in Jüterbog (01 Oct 1923-30 Sep 1924)
Secret Pilot-Training (01 Oct 1924-31 May 1925)
Retired (31 May 1928)
Aircraft-Observer-Training in the USSR (01 Apr 1928-30 Nov 1928)
Flying-Advisor with the Staff of the 1st Cavalry-Regiment (01 Dec 1928-31 Oct 1929)
Reactivated as Battery-Officer in the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Nov 1929-31 Jul 1930)
Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 2nd Artillery-Regiment (01 Aug 1930-31 May 1933)
Advisor with Special Duties with the Staff of the 1st Cavalry-Division (01 Jun 1933-30 Nov 1933)
Transferred to Luftwaffe Service as Squadron-Captain and Artillery-Flying-Instructor at the Observer-School Braunschweig (01 Dec 1933-31 Mar 1935)
Squadron-Captain of the Reconnaissance-Squadron 2 (H) (01 Apr 1935-1935)
Diplomatic Courier of Foreign Office to Japan (1935-28 Feb 1936)
Commander of Reconnaissance-Instruction-Staff Jüterbog (01 Mar 1936-30 Sep 1936)
Commander of III. Group of Instruction-Wing 2 (01 Oct 1936-31 Mar 1939)
Chief Of Operations (Ia) in the Staff of the Commanding General of Army-Flying (01 Apr 1939-19 Sep 1939)
Chief Of Staff of Air-Region-Command II (20 Sep 1939-17 May 1940)
Chief Of Staff of Air-Region-Command Holland (18 May 1940-15 Jan 1941)
Chief Of Staff of Air-Region-Command II (16 Jan 1941-30 Sep 1941)
Chief of the 6th Department in the Luftwaffe General Staff (01 Oct 1941-31 May 1944)
Detached to the Staff of Air-Fleet 3 (01 Jun 1944-30 Jun 1944)
Delegated with the Leadership of the II. Flying-Corps (01 Jul 1944-31 Aug 1944)
Commander of the 1st Fighter-Division (01 Sep 1944-08 Dec 1944)
Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and Luftwaffe High Command – Plenipotentiary of the Reichsmarschall for the Monitoring of Test Flights (09 Dec 1944-19 Mar 1945)
Commander of the 1st Luftwaffe-Training-Division (20 Mar 1945-26 Mar 1945)
Führer-Reserve OKL (26 Mar 1945-11 Apr 1945)
Commander of the 1st Luftwaffe-Training-Division (12 Apr 1945-03 May 1945)
In US Captivity (03 May 1945-30 Oct 1947)
Released (30 Oct 1947)
Decorations & Awards:
- 1914 EK II
- Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz II. Klasse
- Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz I. Klasse
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis II. Klasse
- Finn. Freiheitskreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern: 24.10.1943
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