Bruno Gesche
Encyclopedia
SS-Obersturmbannführer
** Bruno Gesche (5 November 1905–1980) was a Lieutenant Colonel
of the SS in Nazi Germany
, a member of Adolf Hitler
's entourage, and the commander of Adolf Hitler
's personal bodyguard (SS-Begleitkommando des Führers
) for the periods June 1934 – April 1942 and December 1942 – December 1944.
on the post-World War I national defense
force, the Reichswehr
. Though thwarted at realizing his dream of a life of soldiering via the traditional path, Gesche channeled his enthusiasm toward opportunities created by what was then a fringe political opposition movement, the NSDAP, and specifically, its paramilitary wing, the Sturmabteilung
, which he both joined in 1922. Although Gesche's association with the Nazi movement during its early years, including partaking in the thuggish ways employed by the SA
brownshirts cost him his day job on more than one occasion, his status within the Nazi party as an Alte Kämpfer (NSDAP Member No. 8592) proved to be a tremendous asset to him during the better part of the subsequent two and a half decades.
In 1927 Gesche left the SA to join what was then its subordinate outfit, the Schutzstaffel
(SS Member No. 1093). Gesche decided to join the SS after viewing a procession of its men at a Nazi party rally earlier that same year. Like the relative handful before him, and the hundreds of thousands that followed, the distinctive black uniforms of the SS, apparent discipline, and commitment to Nazi racial ideology, left an indelible mark on the young German during the tumult that was Weimar Germany. The SS, as in its earlier incarnations, the Stabswache and Stoßtrupp Adolf Hitler, functioned as the future Führer
's bodyguard.
, Heinrich Himmler
, Hitler chose eight of a prospective twelve men from amongst the body of the SS membership, to serve as his exclusive personal bodyguard, the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers
. One of the eight men handpicked by Hitler for the elite unit was Bruno Gesche. Not long after the unit's creation, Gesche managed to draw the ire of Reichsführer Himmler. To Himmler's consternation, Hitler's fondness for Gesche stemming from their days as old guard comrades would define Gesche's fate for practically the duration of the Third Reich's existence.
on October 14, 1932. Himmler regarded this as an affront to him personally. Although Himmler requested that Gesche be immediately demoted and removed from the SS-Begleitkommando, Hitler ordered that Gesche receive no more than a reprimand.
What Himmler failed to achieve with Gesche in 1932, he succeeded at with Gesche's immediate superior, third commander of the SS-Begleitkommando, Kurt Gildisch
. Gildisch was dismissed from his role as commander of the SS-Begleitkommando in 1934, and eventually the SS entirely, as well as the Nazi party, in 1936, for repeated instances of drunkenness. Gesche was selected by Hitler to succeed Gildisch as commander of the SS-Begleitkommando in June, 1934.
On another occasion, in 1935, as part of his attempts at consolidating his authority over the various security apparatuses of the early Nazi state, Himmler ordered that salaries due to men of Hitler's personal bodyguard detail be withheld. Gesche responded by enlisting the help of the commander of Hitler's personal bodyguard regiment, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Sepp Dietrich
, who quickly managed to have Himmler's order reversed.
Seizing on Gesche's frequent bouts of intoxication, Himmler enforced an SS requirement that had been established in 1937, forbidding SS men from consuming alcohol in excess of the limits as set forth in the mandate. After accumulating evidence that Gesche was in violation, Himmler had Gesche sign a statement on September 26, 1938, promising to abstain from alcohol consumption of any kind for three years or else face expulsion from the SS. After a few months Himmler lifted the ban. Hitler's fondness for Gesche had again forced Himmler's hand.
to join the Waffen-SS
unit, 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
, in which he served with 1./SS-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 5. The 5th SS, from the moment Gesche arrived in the summer of 1942, engaged in bitter battles with Soviet forces for control of the oil-rich Caucasus
. Before the collapse of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad, and the resulting retreat through the Caucasus by the remnants that had not surrendered, including his 5th SS Wiking Division, Gesche had been evacuated from the front in early October 1942 after being wounded in combat. Hitler was pleased with Gesche's performance, and ordered that upon recuperating, he return to command the SS-Begleitkommando. The fortuitous circumstances of Gesche's Caucasus experience led Hitler to decree that no man who had served in a bodyguard unit should be sent to the Eastern Front, for fear of capture by the Soviets.
In December 1944 Gesche once again, and for the final time, tempted fate. In his strongly worded rebuke, soon after an incident that featured a drunken Gesche firing shots at a comrade, Himmler wrote:Gesche was reduced by eleven grades, from a SS-Obersturmbannführer to SS-Unterscharführer. Assignment to the notorious SS penal unit, Dirlewanger, at that stage of the war, was for all practical purposes a death sentence. Although Hitler did not personally intervene on Gesche's behalf, other powerful allies in the SS did. SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein
and SS-Obergruppenführer Maximilian von Herff
successfully argued that assignment to the Dirlewanger Brigade, which was currently operating on the Eastern Front, would be in contravention to the Hitler order forbidding such deployments. Although Gesche was spared certain death with the Dirlewanger, he never again rejoined the Begleitkommando. His days protecting Hitler were over. He was assigned to the 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
, 5./SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 35, where he is said to have again fought well, ultimately surrendering to the Americans in Italy in 1945. According to records housed at the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt)
, Bruno Gesche's last known date of internment by the Western Allies
was March 22, 1947.
Decorations and awards
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
** Bruno Gesche (5 November 1905–1980) was a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
of the SS in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, a member of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's entourage, and the commander of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's personal bodyguard (SS-Begleitkommando des Führers
SS-Begleitkommando des Führers
SS-Begleitkommando des Führers was originally an eight-man SS squad assigned with protecting the life of Adolf Hitler during the early 1930s.-Formation:...
) for the periods June 1934 – April 1942 and December 1942 – December 1944.
Early career
Gesche's aspirations for a career in the German military were effectively dashed by the limitations imposed by the Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
on the post-World War I national defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
force, the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
. Though thwarted at realizing his dream of a life of soldiering via the traditional path, Gesche channeled his enthusiasm toward opportunities created by what was then a fringe political opposition movement, the NSDAP, and specifically, its paramilitary wing, the Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
, which he both joined in 1922. Although Gesche's association with the Nazi movement during its early years, including partaking in the thuggish ways employed by the SA
SA
-Organizations:* S.A. , a type of corporation in various countries* Salvation Army, a Christian denomination founded by William Booth* Sewickley Academy, a private school in the United States...
brownshirts cost him his day job on more than one occasion, his status within the Nazi party as an Alte Kämpfer (NSDAP Member No. 8592) proved to be a tremendous asset to him during the better part of the subsequent two and a half decades.
In 1927 Gesche left the SA to join what was then its subordinate outfit, the Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
(SS Member No. 1093). Gesche decided to join the SS after viewing a procession of its men at a Nazi party rally earlier that same year. Like the relative handful before him, and the hundreds of thousands that followed, the distinctive black uniforms of the SS, apparent discipline, and commitment to Nazi racial ideology, left an indelible mark on the young German during the tumult that was Weimar Germany. The SS, as in its earlier incarnations, the Stabswache and Stoßtrupp Adolf Hitler, functioned as the future Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
's bodyguard.
SS-Begleitkommando des Führers
On February 29, 1932, with the advice of Reichsführer-SSReichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
, Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
, Hitler chose eight of a prospective twelve men from amongst the body of the SS membership, to serve as his exclusive personal bodyguard, the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers
SS-Begleitkommando des Führers
SS-Begleitkommando des Führers was originally an eight-man SS squad assigned with protecting the life of Adolf Hitler during the early 1930s.-Formation:...
. One of the eight men handpicked by Hitler for the elite unit was Bruno Gesche. Not long after the unit's creation, Gesche managed to draw the ire of Reichsführer Himmler. To Himmler's consternation, Hitler's fondness for Gesche stemming from their days as old guard comrades would define Gesche's fate for practically the duration of the Third Reich's existence.
Conflicts with Himmler
The first of many incidents between Gesche and Himmler arose as a result of criticism that the former levied against the security detail provided by another SS unit during a Hitler campaign speech in SelbSelb
Selb is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge, on the border with the Czech Republic, 20 km northwest of Cheb and 23 km southeast of Hof.-Notable people:...
on October 14, 1932. Himmler regarded this as an affront to him personally. Although Himmler requested that Gesche be immediately demoted and removed from the SS-Begleitkommando, Hitler ordered that Gesche receive no more than a reprimand.
What Himmler failed to achieve with Gesche in 1932, he succeeded at with Gesche's immediate superior, third commander of the SS-Begleitkommando, Kurt Gildisch
Kurt Gildisch
Kurt Gildisch became the third commander of Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard on 11 April 1933. He was a trained teacher, who had failed to find a classroom job and ended up in the Prussian police force...
. Gildisch was dismissed from his role as commander of the SS-Begleitkommando in 1934, and eventually the SS entirely, as well as the Nazi party, in 1936, for repeated instances of drunkenness. Gesche was selected by Hitler to succeed Gildisch as commander of the SS-Begleitkommando in June, 1934.
On another occasion, in 1935, as part of his attempts at consolidating his authority over the various security apparatuses of the early Nazi state, Himmler ordered that salaries due to men of Hitler's personal bodyguard detail be withheld. Gesche responded by enlisting the help of the commander of Hitler's personal bodyguard regiment, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, Sepp Dietrich
Sepp Dietrich
Josef "Sepp" Dietrich was a German SS General. He was one of Nazi Germany's most decorated soldiers and commanded formations up to Army level during World War II. Prior to 1929 he was Adolf Hitler's chauffeur and bodyguard but received rapid promotion after his participation in the murder of...
, who quickly managed to have Himmler's order reversed.
Seizing on Gesche's frequent bouts of intoxication, Himmler enforced an SS requirement that had been established in 1937, forbidding SS men from consuming alcohol in excess of the limits as set forth in the mandate. After accumulating evidence that Gesche was in violation, Himmler had Gesche sign a statement on September 26, 1938, promising to abstain from alcohol consumption of any kind for three years or else face expulsion from the SS. After a few months Himmler lifted the ban. Hitler's fondness for Gesche had again forced Himmler's hand.
War years
Gesche once again opened the door for Himmler, when in early 1942, after another session of heavy-drinking, he pulled his pistol and threatened a fellow SS officer. Although no shots were fired, after Himmler was informed of the events, even Gesche's close relationship with Hitler could not save him from the wrath of the Reichsführer-SS. Gesche was swiftly dismissed from his command of the SS-Begleitkommando, was again required to abstain from drinking for three years, and most importantly, at the age of 37 and with no prior combat experience, was ordered to the Eastern FrontEastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
to join the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
unit, 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
The 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking was one of the elite Panzer divisions of the thirty eight Waffen SS divisions. It was recruited from foreign volunteers, from Scandinavia, Finland, Estonia, The Netherlands, and Belgium under the command of German officers...
, in which he served with 1./SS-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 5. The 5th SS, from the moment Gesche arrived in the summer of 1942, engaged in bitter battles with Soviet forces for control of the oil-rich Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. Before the collapse of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad, and the resulting retreat through the Caucasus by the remnants that had not surrendered, including his 5th SS Wiking Division, Gesche had been evacuated from the front in early October 1942 after being wounded in combat. Hitler was pleased with Gesche's performance, and ordered that upon recuperating, he return to command the SS-Begleitkommando. The fortuitous circumstances of Gesche's Caucasus experience led Hitler to decree that no man who had served in a bodyguard unit should be sent to the Eastern Front, for fear of capture by the Soviets.
In December 1944 Gesche once again, and for the final time, tempted fate. In his strongly worded rebuke, soon after an incident that featured a drunken Gesche firing shots at a comrade, Himmler wrote:Gesche was reduced by eleven grades, from a SS-Obersturmbannführer to SS-Unterscharführer. Assignment to the notorious SS penal unit, Dirlewanger, at that stage of the war, was for all practical purposes a death sentence. Although Hitler did not personally intervene on Gesche's behalf, other powerful allies in the SS did. SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein
Hermann Fegelein
SS-Obergruppenführer Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein was a General of the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany, a member of Adolf Hitler's entourage, brother-in-law to Eva Braun through his marriage to her sister, Gretl, and husband of the sister-in-law to Adolf Hitler through Hitler's marriage to Eva...
and SS-Obergruppenführer Maximilian von Herff
Maximilian von Herff
Maximilian von Herff was a German Schutzstaffel general from Hanover.Herff served as an officer of the Reichswehr in the First World War, attaining the rank of colonel and winning the Iron Cross First and Second Class. During the Second World War, Herff served in North Africa as commander of the...
successfully argued that assignment to the Dirlewanger Brigade, which was currently operating on the Eastern Front, would be in contravention to the Hitler order forbidding such deployments. Although Gesche was spared certain death with the Dirlewanger, he never again rejoined the Begleitkommando. His days protecting Hitler were over. He was assigned to the 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
The 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS was a Panzergrenadier formation of the Waffen-SS during World War II.-History:Formed in November 1943 when Volksdeutsche recruits were added to the Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS, which was used as the cadre in the formation of the new division...
, 5./SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 35, where he is said to have again fought well, ultimately surrendering to the Americans in Italy in 1945. According to records housed at the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt)
Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt)
The Deutsche Dienststelle is a German Agency based in Berlin which maintains records of members of the former German Wehrmacht who were killed in action. Formerly called the Wehrmachtsauskunftstelle this agency also provides information about the fate of foreign and German soldiers as well as...
, Bruno Gesche's last known date of internment by the Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
was March 22, 1947.
Promotions, demotions and decorations
Promotions and demotion- 20.7.31 - SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant)
- 9.11.33 - SS-Obersturmführer (1st Lieutenant)
- 1.7.34 - SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)
- 20.4.35 - SS-Sturmbannführer (MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
) - 9.11.44 - SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
) - 20.12.44 - SS-Unterscharführer (SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
) (demoted by Himmler)**
Decorations and awards
- Goldenes Parteiabzeichen der NSDAP (Golden Party BadgeGolden Party BadgeThe Golden Party Badge was a special badge of the Nazi Party. The first 100,000 members who had joined and had uninterrupted service in the Party were given the right to wear it...
) - SS-Ehrenring (Totenkopfring)
- Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (Wound Badge in BlackWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
) - Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd ClassIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
)