Josef Bachmeier
Encyclopedia
Josef Bachmeier was a Hauptsturmführer
(Captain) in the Waffen SS during World War II
. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany
during World War II
.
. After finishing elementary school he joined the 19th Bavarian Infantry Regiment in April 1929 and later volunteered to join the SS-Totenkopfverbände
in June 1935 and was assigned to the SS Totenkopf
Ostfriesland. He later served with the SS Totenkopf Brandenburg
(1936) being selected to become an officer and promoted to Untersturmführer
(Second Lieutenant) in November 1936 and was then transferred to the SS Totenkopf Oberbayern (1937) being promoted to Obersturmführer
(First Lieutenant) in September. His next posting as the SS Totenkopf Ostmark
and the SS Totenkopf Kirkenes in 1940.
(Captain).
Here he remained until 1943, when he was transferred to the SS Training and Reserve Battalion Nord, 6th SS Gebirgs Division Nord In 1944 he was moved again this time to the 4th Company, Begleitkommando-SS
, Reichsführers SS.
He was again moved in 1944, to command the II. Battalion, 23 Panzergrenadier Regiment Norge, 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in August 1944, when in command at the Mountain Pine position on the Eastern Front
. When he launched an attack with three company's and forced the Russian forces to retreat.
near Hanover
.
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(Captain) in the Waffen SS during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by 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...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life
Josef Bachmeier born on the 27 October 1908 in DingolfingDingolfing
Dingolfing is a town in Southern Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the Landkreis Dingolfing-Landau.- History :The area now called Dingolfing was first mentioned in Tinguluinga in the year 833....
. After finishing elementary school he joined the 19th Bavarian Infantry Regiment in April 1929 and later volunteered to join the SS-Totenkopfverbände
SS-Totenkopfverbände
SS-Totenkopfverbände , meaning "Death's-Head Units", was the SS organization responsible for administering the Nazi concentration camps for the Third Reich....
in June 1935 and was assigned to the SS Totenkopf
Totenkopf
The Totenkopf is the German word for the death's head and an old symbol for death or the dead. It consists usually of the skull and the mandible of the human skeleton...
Ostfriesland. He later served with the SS Totenkopf Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
(1936) being selected to become an officer and promoted to Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
(Second Lieutenant) in November 1936 and was then transferred to the SS Totenkopf Oberbayern (1937) being promoted to Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
(First Lieutenant) in September. His next posting as the SS Totenkopf Ostmark
Ostmark
Ostmark is a German term meaning either Eastern march when applied to territories or Eastern Mark when applied to currencies.Ostmark may refer to:...
and the SS Totenkopf Kirkenes in 1940.
World War II
In World War II Bach was posted to the 4th SS Infantry Regiment in 1941 and in September promoted to HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(Captain).
Here he remained until 1943, when he was transferred to the SS Training and Reserve Battalion Nord, 6th SS Gebirgs Division Nord In 1944 he was moved again this time to the 4th Company, Begleitkommando-SS
Begleitkommando-SS
Begleitkommando-SS were elite SS bodyguards created to provide close security protection for high-ranking members of the Nazi Party and visiting state dignitories.-Formation:...
, Reichsführers SS.
He was again moved in 1944, to command the II. Battalion, 23 Panzergrenadier Regiment Norge, 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in August 1944, when in command at the Mountain Pine position on the Eastern Front
Eastern 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...
. When he launched an attack with three company's and forced the Russian forces to retreat.
Post war
Josef Bachmeier survived the war and died on the 24 February 1971 in SarstedtSarstedt
Sarstedt is a town in the district of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany. It has around 17,800 inhabitants. Sarstedt is close to Hanover.The GEO 600 gravitational wave detector is located nearby....
near Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
.