Date of birth:

January 8th, 1916 (Frankfurt am Main/Hessen-Nassau, Germany)

Date of death:

April 13th, 1995 (Assenheim/Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Unteroffizier (Junior Officer)

Unit:

Geschützführer, Panzerjäger-Abteilung 46, 44. Infanterie-Division, Heer

Awarded on:

January 19th, 1941

The following wartime excerpt describes why Hilss received the Knight’s Cross…

“Oberfeldwebel Willi Hilß… received the Knight’s Cross on the 19.01.1941 as an Unteroffizier in a Panzerjäger-Abteilung. During the western campaign he launched a bold surprise advance that led to the capture of two bridges. This decisively influenced the continued successful combat of his Division.”

• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - Unteroffiziere des Heeres mit dem Ritterkreuz - Sammelbilder.