Heinrich Baron von Behr

Heinrich von Behr (26 June [O.S. 13 June] 1902 – 14 August 1983) was a Baltic German general during World War II.

Heinrich Baron von Behr
Born	26 June 1902 Roennen, Courland Governorate, Russian Empire (Now Kuldīga Municipality, Latvia)
Died	14 August 1983 (aged 81) Bonn, West Germany
Allegiance	Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany  West Germany
Service/branch	Baltische Landeswehr Reichswehr Army Bundeswehr
Years of service	1919–45 1956–62
Rank	Generalmajor (Wehrmacht) Generalmajor (Bundeswehr)
Commands held	90th Light Infantry Division 5th Armoured Division (Bundeswehr)
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

He was born into the von Behr Baltic German noble family, which owned Renda Manor, in 1902. During the Latvian War of Independence, von Behr joined the Baltische Landeswehr in January 1919.

After the properties of the von Behr family in Latvia were nationalized during the Latvian agrarian reform in 1920, von Behr moved to Weimar Germany, where in 1922 he joined the 16th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Cavalry Division of the Reichswehr. In 1937 he became a teacher and pentathlon coach in the Wünsdorf Military Sports School (Heeressportschule Wünsdorf).

During WWII, von Behr led reconnaissance troops during action in Poland, France, the Eastern Front, North Africa and Italy. In December 1944 he was appointed commander of tank units on the Italian front, and in April 1945 as commander of the 90th Light Infantry Division. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.

Behr surrendered to the British troops in April 1945 and was held until August 1947. Afterwards, since September 1956 he served in the Bundeswehr of West Germany, commanding the 5th Armoured Division since December 1959. He retired in September 1962 at the rank of a general and died in Bonn in 1983.

Awards and decorations

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (20 April 1940) & 1st Class (24 June 1940)[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 23 February 1944 as Oberst and commander of Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 200[2]
  • 689th Oak Leaves on 9 January 1945 as Oberst and commander of Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 200[3]
• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (19 September 1962)

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 37.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 109.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 76.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.