General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz

PW NO: 560337
RANK: General der Infanterie
CAPTURED: Luebeck
DATE: 3rd May 1945

PERSONAL

DATE OF BIRTH:     3 June 1885
PLACE OF BIRTH:   Kallies/Kreis Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH:   31 December 1959
PLACE OF DEATH: Hamburg
NATIONALITY:       German
RELIGION: Evangelical
OCCUPATION:        Regular Soldier
HEIGHT:     5'6.5"
WEIGHT:     140lbs
HAIR COLOUR:       Grey
EYE COLOUR:         Grey
NEXT OF KIN:         Christa Kienitz, Hamburg Flottbek (British Zone)

Promotions:

Fahnenjunker: 11 March 1904
Fähnrich: 18 October 1904
Leutnant: 18 August 1905 (Patent 17 February 1904)
Oberleutnant: 18 February 1913
Hauptmann: 24 December 1914
Major: 1 February 1925 (RDA 1 October 1924)
Oberstleutnant: 1 October 1929
Oberst: 1 April 1932
Generalmajor: 1 March 1935
Generalleutnant: 1 April 1937
General der Infanterie: 1 April 1938

Commands & Assignments:

11 March 1904: Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker in Infanterie-Regiment General-Feldmarshchall Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preußen (8. Brandenburgisches) Nr.64.
1 October 1912: Regimental Adjutant of Infantry Regiment 64.
24 December 1914: Company Chief in Infantry Regiment 64.
1 December 1915: In the General Staff of Army High Command 9.
27 January 1917: In the General Staff of the 21st Reserve Division.
22 April 1919: Military District Inspector.
1 October 1919: Company Chief in Reichswehr Battalion “Berlin.”
1 December 1919: Company Chief in Reichswehr Jäger Battalion 3.
1 May 1920: Company Chief in Reichswehr Infantry Regiment 5.
1 January 1921: Company Chief in Infantry Regiment 9.
1 May 1922: On the staff of Artillery Leader III.
1 February 1924: On the staff of Infantry Leader VI.
1 October 1926: On the staff of the 4th Division.
1 July 1929: Commander of the III. Battalion of Infantry Regiment 18.
1 April 1932: Commander of Infantry Regiment 15.
1 October 1934: Commander of the Stuttgart Border Defense Area.
15 October 1935: Commander of the 24th Division, Chemnitz.
1 April 1938: Commanding General of the XVII Army Corps. [The corps took part in the invasions of Poland in September 1939 and France in May-June 1940. The XVII Army Corps then took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union from June 1941 as a component of Army Group South.]
1 April 1938-26 August 1939: At the same time, Commander of Wehrkreis [Military District] XVII, Wien.
23 January 1942: Führer Reserve in the Army High Command.
1 May 1942-1 February 1945: Deputy Commanding General of the II Army Corps and Commander of Wehrkreis II, Stettin.
1 February 1945: Führer Reserve in the Army High Command.
8 May 1945-May 1948: Prisoner of war.
- 9th January 1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1
- 12th May 1948 transferred to Camp 186 for repatriation

Decorations & Awards:

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross: 31 August 1941, General der Infanterie, Commanding General of the XVII Army Corps.
German Cross in Silver: 22 April 1945, General der Infanterie, Deputy Commanding General of the II Army Corps and Commander of Wehrkreis II.
Prussian Crown Order, 4th Class
Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order, Knight's Cross with Swords
Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Bar
War Merit Cross, 1st Class with Swords
War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with Swords
Princely Hohenzollern House Order, Honor Cross 3rd Class with Swords
Bavarian Military Merit Order, 4th Class with Swords
Hesse General Honor Decoration, “for Bravery”
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 with Castle Prague Bar
Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
Princely Hohenzollern Honor Cross, 3rd Class with Swords

Kienitz was highly decorated during World War I. Note he held both the Royal Hohenzollern House Order and the Princely Hohenzollern Honor Cross. Despite the close similarity in names, these were two separate yet affiliated orders. The first one was the personal house order of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany, while the second one was the personal house order of the Kaiser's Catholic cousins in Sigmaringen. Both decorations were virtually identical in appearance except for different centrepieces and mottos, VOM FELS ZUM MEER ("From the Mountains to the Sea") and FÜR TREUE UND VERDIENST ("For Fidelity and Merit") respectively.

Click here to see a photo of General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz in the company of fellow prisoners of war at Island Farm.