- 11 October 1912: Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker
in Infanterie-Regiment Graf Dönhoff (7. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 44.
- 28 July 1912-9 April 1914: Detached to the Neiße
War School.
- 2 August 1914: In the field with Infantry Regiment
44.
- 20 August 1914: Wounded/in hospital.
- 16 September 1914: Transferred to the Königsberg
Military Depot, Prussia.
- 30 September 1914: Transferred to Infantry Regiment
44 in the field.
- 1 October 1914: Wounded/in hospital.
- 3 December 1914: Transferred to the Replacement
Battalion of Infantry Regiment 44.
- 11 December 1914: Sick/in hospital.
- 22 January 1915: Transferred to the Replacement
Battalion of Infantry Regiment 44.
- 25 April 1915: Transferred to Fortress Machinegun
Battalion I, Königsberg.
- 19 May 1915: Leader of the Machinegun Battalion
of Landsturm (“Territorial Forces”) Infantry Regiment 23.
- 25 February 1916: Leader of Bicycle Company 158.
- 15 May 1916: Detached to Army Air Park 10, Kowno.
- 9 June 1916: Transferred to the Machinegun Company
of Landsturm Infantry Regiment 23.
- 18 September 1916: Transferred to Infantry Regiment
425.
- 8 December 1916: Leader of the Machinegun Company
of Infantry Regiment 425.
- 11 May 1917: Deputy Machinegun Officer on the
Staff of Infantry Regiment 425 and, at the same time, Commandant of
Tyrmont near Dünaburg.
- 16 September 1917: Deputy Regimental Adjutant
of Infantry Regiment 425.
- 29 September 1917: Machinegun Officer on the Staff
of Infantry Regiment 425.
- 21 November 1917-24 November 1917: At the same
time, Deputy Leader of the I. Battalion of Infantry Regiment 425.
- 7 December 1917: Machinegun Officer on the Staff
of Infantry Regiment 353.
- 31 March 1918: Wounded/in hospital.
- 27 June 1918: Deputy Regimental Adjutant of Infantry
Regiment 425.
- 22 July 1918: Ordnance Officer on the staff of
General Command for Special Employment 53.
- 31 December 1918: Transferred back to Infantry
Regiment 44 and detached to the General Command of I Army Corps as Second
Adjutant.
- 1 October 1919: Machinegun Officer on the Staff
of Wehrkreis [Military District] Command I.
- 25 April 1919: While retaining his previous position
in Wehrkreis Command I, transferred to Reichswehr Schützen-[Rifle] Regiment
1.
- 1 October 1920: While retaining his previous position
in Wehrkreis Command I, transferred to the 1st (Prussian) Infantry Regiment.
- 14 November 1920: Position in Wehrkreis Command
I terminated and appointed a Company Officer in the Training Battalion
of the 1st (Prussian) Infantry Regiment.
- 1 November 1921-30 November 1921: Detached as
an Instructor to the Machinegun Training Course for Company Leaders.
- 1 March 1922-28 April 1922: Detached as a Weapons
Instructor to Leader Assistant Courses I and II.
- 20 March 1922: Adjutant of the Training Battalion
of the 1st (Prussian) Infantry Regiment.
- 1 October 1923: Detached for studies at the Charlottenburg
Technical College.
- 1 March 1925: While retaining his previous position
at the Charlottenburg Technical College, transferred to the staff of
the Training Battalion of the 1st (Prussian) Infantry Regiment.
- 1 January 1926: While retaining his previous position
at the Charlottenburg Technical College, transferred to the staff of
the 1st (Prussian) Infantry Regiment.
- 1 April 1928: Transferred to the 1st (Prussian)
Reiter [Mounted]-Regiment and detached to the Army Weapons Office (WaA)/Reich
Defense Ministry.
- 1 April 1929: Transferred to the staff of the
Training Battalion of the 6th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment.
- 1 November 1929: Chief of the 15th Company of
the 6th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment.
- 1 April 1931: Consultant in the Army Weapons Office
(WaA)/Reich Defense Ministry.
- 1 October 1934: Commander of the III. Battalion
of Infantry Regiment “Crossen.”
- 15 October 1935: Commander of the III. Battalion
of Infantry Regiment 29 of the 3rd Infantry Division.
- 10 September 1936: Detached to the Army Weapons
Office (WaA)/Reich Defense Ministry.
- 6 October 1936: Department Chief (Wa B 2) in the
Army Weapons Office/Reich War Ministry.
- 4 February 1938: Department Chief (Wa J Rü 2)
in the Army Weapons Office/Army High Command.
- 9 May 1940: Inspector of the Armaments Industry
Regional Inspectorate IX, Kassel.
- 1 December 1942-8 May 1945: Inspector of the Military
Economics and Armaments Industry Regional Inspectorate III, Berlin.
- 8 May 1945-17 May 1948: Prisoner of war in British
captivity.
- 9th January
1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1
- 12th May
1948 transferred to Camp 186 for repatriation.
- After
returning to Germany, Walther Hillert served as Director of the Anker-Werke
factory until retiring to Hannover in 1957. In a letter to Mr. and Mrs.
Davies dated 9 July 1958, Hillert reflected on his factory’s achievements:
The retrospective vue [sic] of the last years rouses a certain pride.
As many other firms, our factory has been completely destroyed during
the war. The entire production has fallen to a very low level. Then
I developed some new labeling-machines and was very glad to find a good
market. Thus, “Anker” could make its way and successfully compete with
German and later on international competitors.
Decorations & Awards:
- Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914)
- Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914)
- War Merit Cross, 1st Class with Swords
- War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with Swords
- 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)
- Commemorative Medal of 13 March 1938
- Commemorative Medal of 1 October 1938
- Wound Badge in Silver – World War I award
Below
are some extremely rare photos and documents kindly permitted for use on this
web site
by Mrs Hillary Powell.
Her Aunty and Uncle (Mr & Mrs Davies) befriended Walther Hillert whilst
he was a POW at Island Farm. Ironically, during World War II her Uncle had
worked in the Royal Ordnance Factory, in Bridgend, making ordnance with which
to attack the Germans. Conversely, Generalmajor Hillert, among other duties,
oversaw German munitions production as a department chief in the Army Weapons
Office and, later, as the inspector of two armaments industry regional inspectorates.
The friendship and correspondence continued after Walther Hillert was repatriated
right up until the day he died.
PLEASE CLICK
ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE
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29th
May 1948
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June
1948
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Xmas
1948
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July
1950 (Hamburg)
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October
1957 (Hamburg)
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March
7th 1948
(Birthday card handmade and signed by Walther Hillert)
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May
1948
Walther Hillert says "Thank you" to Mr & Mrs Davies
for their hospitality
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13th
May 1948
Farewell Letter from Camp 186 to Mr & Mrs Davies
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