Date of birth:

June 23rd, 1906 (Mouseron/Flanders, Belgium)

Date of death:

February 6th, 1983 (Wiesbaden/Hesse, Germany)

Service number:

SS-Nr.: 3.848 // NSDAP-Nr.: 378.043

Nationality:

German

29.10.1930: entered the SS as SS-Anwärter
01.12.1930: entered the NSDAP
01.02.1931: SS-Mann
20.11.1931: SS-Truppführer
27.01.1932: SS-Sturmführer
00.00.1932: Zugführer, I. Sturm, SS-Standarten 2
09.11.1933: promoted to SS-Obersturmführer
25.04.1934: Führer, SS-Standarten 2
09.11.1936: promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer
00.00.1938: Führer, 2. Kompanie, SS-"N", SS-Bataillon 'Nürnberg'
20.10.1939: Führer, Panzerabwehr-Abteilung, SS-Verfügunstruppe
25.05.1940: promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer
00.12.1940-27.10.1941: SS-Stubaf, Führer, III. Bataillon, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 11
11.03.1942: Führer, SS-Panzerjäger-Ersatz- und Ausbildungs-Abteilung, Hilversum, Holland
09.11.1942: promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer
22.11.1943: promoted to SS-Standartenführer
00.00.1944: SS-Staf, Ia, Stab, Befehlshaber der Waffen-SS Niederlande
21.12.1944: promoted to SS-Oberführer
00.01.1945: Chef des Stabes, XVI. SS-Armee-Korps
26.01.1945-15.02.1945: Kdr., 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1)
16.02.1945-15.03.1945: Führer, 32. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division '30. Januar'
05.04.1945-05.05.1945: 18. Divisionsführerlehrgang, Neustadt / Saale and moved to Bad Wiessee
00.05.1945: captured at Hochfilzen/Tirol - US POW
08.05.1948: released

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Awarded on:

1931

Nr. 2.152

Awarded on:

February 1934

Awarded on:

1935

Awarded on:

April 1st, 1939

Awarded on:

April 1st, 1939

Awarded on:

1939

Awarded on:

1939

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

May 27th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

June 24th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

November 17th, 1942

according to letter dated 17.01.1944 from SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei August Heissmeyer; award not indicated in his SS file, nor in the SS-Dienstalterliste of 09.11.1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

July 15th, 1943

according to letter dated 17.01.1944 from SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei August Heissmeyer; award not indicated in his SS file, nor in the SS-Dienstalterliste of 09.11.1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

January 30th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Oberführer (Brigade General)

Unit:

Chef des Generalstabes, Führungsstab Ostküste, Führer, 15. SS-Freiwilligen-Division (Lettische No. 1), XVIII. Gebirgs-Korps, 2. Armee, Heeresgruppe Weichsel

Awarded on:

May 9th, 1945

Ax’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“On the 25.01.1945 SS-Oberführer Ax, chief of staff for the XIV. SS-Armee-Korps, was assigned command of the 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lett. Nr. 1) following the loss of its previous divisional commander. SS-Oberführer went on to achieve the following in the course of the Division’s many subsequent offensive and defensive actions:

1. Breaking through the encirclement ring around his Division near Flederborn on the 03.02.1945. The Division had been encircled here due to its own steadfastness, but by holding its ground in this way it tied down strong elements of two tank-reinforced Soviet divisions and prevented the enemy from continuing their swift breakthrough towards the northwest.

2. Directing this breakthrough in the face of strong Soviet forces whilst serving with the rest of the divisional staff in the foremost line.

3. Dispersing and destroying the bulk of a Soviet division before the bridgehead and cornerstone at Landeck during the process of this breakthrough.”

Unofficial award based on a recommendation dated 28.03.1945 and signed by Korps Kom. Gen. Karl-Maria Demelhuber

• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
• - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GüNTER, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück, 1987.
  - 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
  - Schneider J.W., Their Honor was Loyalty!, R. James Bender Publishing, 1977
  - Yerger M.C., Allgemeine-SS: The commands, Units and Leaders of the general SS