Date of birth:

December 23rd, 1907 (Bilderlahe/Hannover, Germany)

Date of death:

October 19th, 1991 (Alsfeld/Hesse, Germany)

Nationality:

German

Walter Gericke was involved in the invasion of the Netherlands as from May 10th, 1940 and took part in the capture of a bridge in Dordrecht. In 1941 he took part in the invasion of Crete and in 1944 the defence of Anzio. He reached the rank of Oberst. After the Second World War he served with the Bundeswehr reaching there the rank of Generalmajor.

Promotions:
August 31st, 1935: Oberleutnant der Polizei;
?: Hauptmann;
?: Major;
?: Oberstleutnant;
?: Oberst;
1956: Oberst (Bundeswehr);
September 12th, 1961: Brigadegeneral;
September 25th,1963: Generalmajor.

Career:
1929 - 1933: Polizei, Republik Weimar;
1933: Ordnungspolizei;
?: Kompanieführer, Regiment „General Göring";
?: Chef 4. Kompanie, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1;
?: Stab, Fliegerführer Drontheim;
?: Kommandeur, IV. Bataillon, Luftlande-Sturmregiment 1;
?: Kommandeur, Ausbildungs-Bataillon ?;
September 1943: Kommandeur II. / Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6;
October 1943: Kommandeur Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 11;
April 5th, 1945: Kommandeur, 21. Fallschirmjäger-Division;
May 8th, 1945 - November 1946: Brits Krijgsgevangene;
1956-1958: Luftlande-/Lufttransportschule Altenstadt;
October 1st, 1962 - March 31st, 1965: Kommandant, 1. Luftlande-Division (Bundeswehr)

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• Photo 1: Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H25245 / Wahner (CC Attribution Share Alike 3.0)
• - BUSCH, E., Die Fallschirmjägerchronik, 1935-1945, 1983.
  - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - MITCHAM, S.W., German Order of Battle: 291st-999th Infantry divisions, named infantry divisions, and special div., Stackpole Books, 2007.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - SEEMEN, G. VON, Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945, Podzun-Pallas-Verlag, 1976.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GüNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GüNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1991.