Date of birth:

November 4th, 1916 (Bad Bramstedt-Segeberg/Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)

Date of death:

June 6th, 1943

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Promotions:
1st June 1937: Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter Infanterie-Regiment 6
1st September 1937: Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
1st March 1938: Fähnrich
1st June 1938: Oberfähnrich
1st September 1938: Leutnant
1940: Oberleutnant
1st February 1943: Hauptmann

Was killed on 6th June 1943 near Archangelsk, Soviet Union, as Hauptmann and Kommandeur Sturm-Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 186.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)

Unit:

I. / Infanterie-Regiment 222

Awarded on:

June 27th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Unit:

Infanterie-Regiment 303

Awarded on:

November 16th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Unit:

Regiment-Stab. / Infanterie-Regiment 167

Awarded on:

April 13th, 1942

Silver version.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Awarded on:

July 29th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Awarded on:

December 28th, 1942

Received for a single wound inflicted on 5th December 1942.

Feldpostnummer 08 464 on document.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant)

Unit:

Führer 1. / Grenadier-Regiment 216 / 86.Infanterie-Division

Awarded on:

February 8th, 1943

The following press excerpt (dated 04.07.1943) describes why Böttcher was awarded the Knight’s Cross…

“Hauptmann Walter Hans Böttcher (from Hamburg) was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross due to the exemplary bravery and decisiveness he showed at the start of December 1942 during the major defensive battles south of Toropez. In this time he was serving as an Oberleutnant and commander of a Grenadier-Bataillon.

Here, as his Bataillon was preparing to withdraw as per orders, it came under attack on two sides by far numerically superior forces. Acting swiftly, Oberleutnant Böttcher rallied all the available Grenadiers in the vicinity of his Bataillon command post and assailed one of the enemy groups at the head of his ad-hoc force. This counterthrust met with success; and the withdrawal movement was carried out in an orderly fashion before the Bolsheviks came to their senses.”

Preliminary award document dated 9th February 1943.

• Photo 1: H.-P. Rackete
• - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, 1992.
  - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
  - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
  - Award certificates and documents via H.-P. Rackete: Verleihungsurkunde EK II, Verleihungsurkunde EK I, Besitzzeugnis ISA im silber, Besitzzeugnis Verwundetenazeichen in Schwarz, Vorläufiges Besitzzeugnis Ritterkreuz, Beförderungs Urkunde zum Leutnant, Wehrpass