Generalleutnant Erwin Leister

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: Generalleutnant Erwin Leister

PW NO: A938907

RANK: Generalleutnant

CAPTURED: Unknown

DATE: 14th April 1945

PERSONAL
DATE OF BIRTH: 9 December 1886

PLACE OF BIRTH: Volkmarsen (Hessen)

DATE OF DEATH: 7 December 1969

PLACE OF DEATH: Göttingen/Niedersachsen

NATIONALITY: German

RELIGION: Evangelical

OCCUPATION: Regular Soldier

HEIGHT: 183 cms

WEIGHT:                  65 Kgs
HAIR COLOUR:       Blonde
EYE COLOUR:         Blue

NEXT OF KIN: Marg Leister, Celle, Hanover (British Zone)

Promotions:

Fahnenjunker: 5 March 1907
Fähnrich: 18 January 1908
Leutnant: 18 August 1908 – Patent 17 September 1906 (S2s)
Oberleutnant: 28 November 1914 (Z11z)
Hauptmann: 18 April 1916 (13)
Major: 1 February 1929 (27)
Oberstleutnant: 1 July 1933 (7)
Oberst: 1 June 1935 (14)
Generalmajor: 1 March 1939 (4)
Generalleutnant: 1 January 1941 (2)

Commands & Assignments:

5 March 1907: Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker in the Fußartillerie-Regiment von Dieskau (Niederschlesisches) Nr.6.
1 August 1914: Adjutant of the II. Battalion of Foot Artillery Regiment 6.
24 December 1914: Battery Leader in Foot Artillery Regiment 6.
1917: Commander of Foot Artillery Battalion 136.
4 March 1919: Leader of the Volunteer Foot Artillery Battalion “Oberschlesien.”
23 September 1919: Transferred to the Heavy Reichswehr Artillery Battalion 6 of Reichswehr-Brigade 6.
15 March 1920: On the staff of the II. Battalion of Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 8 of Reichswehr-Brigade 8.
28 March 1920: Battery Leader in Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 8 of Reichswehr-Brigade 8.
18 September 1920: Battery Chief in Reichswehr Artillery Regiment 6 of Reichswehr-Brigade 6.
1 January 1921: On the staff of the II. Battalion of the 3rd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment upon the formation of the new Reichsheer from the Übergangsheer or Transitional Army.
1 April 1925: Battery Chief in the 3rd (Prussian) Artillery Regiment.
1 February 1928: Adjutant of Artillery Leader I, Königsberg.
1 April 1932: Commander of the I. Battalion of the 1st (Prussian) Artillery Regiment.
1 April 1934: Commander of the Army Gas Defense School in Berlin, from January 1939 in Celle.
1 January 1941-31 July 1944: Inspector of the Smoke Troops and Gas Defense/Army High Command (In 9). [In addition to overseeing chemical warfare defense measures for the German Army, Generalleutnant Leister served as Inspector of the Nebeltruppen or Smoke Troops.[1] These troops manned Nebelwerfers (literally “smoke throwers”) – weapons originally designed as chemical mortars but used extensively as battlefield rocket launchers – and other tactical rocket-based weapons. Of note, the six-barreled Nebelwerfer 41 could fire rapid barrages of 150mm high-explosive or smoke rockets while the five-barreled Nebelwerfer 42 employed 210mm and later 300mm rockets. Allied troops nicknamed these weapons “Screaming Meemie” and “Moaning Minnie” due to the distinctive and unnerving sound made by the rockets.]
1 August 1944: Army High Command Leader Reserve.[2]
30 September 1944: Retired from the Army.
14 April 1945-15 October 1947: Prisoner of war in British captivity.
- 24th January 1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 24 medical hospital
- 10th October 47 repatriated to Hamburg on board the ship El Nil

Decorations & Awards (included):

Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914)
Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914)
Saxe-Meiningen Cross for Merit in War
Cross of Honor for Combatants 1914-1918
Armed Forces Long Service Award, 1st Class (25-year Service Cross)
Armed Forces Long Service Award, 3rd Class (12-year Service Medal)

Sources:

Bradley, Dermot. Die Generale des Heeres, 1921-1945, Band 7 (Knabe-Luz). Biblio Verlag, Bissendorf, Germany, 2004.
U.S. War Department Technical Manual TM-E 30-451, Handbook on German Military Forces, 15 March 1945 (reprinted by the Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1990).

[1] While chemical weapons were fortunately not employed in battle during World War II, the German Army, like most major armies of the day, devoted much effort to training its troops in gas protection measures. The German Army fielded a wide array of decontamination vehicles as well as personnel, animal and equipment decontaminates and protective agents (liquids, creams, tablets, swabs, inhalants, etc.), gas detection alarm systems and defense shelters. Additionally, the German Army issued each soldier a gas mask and an anti-gas cape as part of his standard equipment kit. The gas mask was carried in the highly distinctive fluted metal M1930/38 canister frequently seen in photographs of German troops in World War II.

[2] On 1 August 1944, Generalmajor Johann Albrecht von Blücher (23 November 1892-14 May 1972) succeeded Generalleutnant Leister as Inspector of the Smoke Troops and Gas Defense. He served in this capacity for the remainder of the war.

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