SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: General der Kavallerie z.V./SS-Gruppenführer Walter Braemer

PW NUMBER:            A451665

RANK:                        General der Kavallerie z.V./SS-Gruppenführer

CAPTURED:               Lübeck

DATE:                         3 May 1945

PERSONAL

DATE OF BIRTH:      7 January 1883

PLACE OF BIRTH:    Königsberg/Prussia

DATE OF DEATH:    13 June 1955

PLACE OF DEATH:  Hamburg

NATIONALITY:        German

RELIGION:                Evangelical

OCCUPATION:        Regular Soldier

HEIGHT:                    5’ 11”

WEIGHT:                   168 lbs.

HAIR COLOUR:        Grey

EYE COLOUR:          Grey

NSDAP-NUMBER:    4,012,329 (Joined 1937)
SS-NUMBER:      223,910 (Joined 1 October 1935)

NEXT OF KIN:    Erika Braemer (British Zone)

Wife: Married on 27 December 1915 to Erika Freiin von der Goltz (born 8 April 1893 in Stargard/Pommern) – one son (born 20 October 1921) and two daughters (born 4 October 1916 and 26 June 1923).

Promotions:

• Fähnrich: 2 March 1901
• Leutnant: 27 January 1902 – Patent 22 June 1900 (R)
• Oberleutnant: 27 January 1910 (A4a)
• Rittmeister: 17 February 1914 (H)
• Major: 1 January 1922 (5) – RDA later changed to 1 June 1921 (9)
• Oberstleutnant: 1 April 1926 (2)
• Oberst: 1 October 1929 (14)
• Generalmajor: 1 October 1932 (5)
• SS-Standartenführer: 1 October 1935 (entered the SS at this rank).
• SS-Oberführer: 13 September 1936
• SS-Brigadeführer: 20 June 1938
• Generalleutnant z.V.: 1 July 1941
• General der Kavallerie z.V.: 1 September 1942
• SS-Gruppenführer: 20 April 1944

Commands & Assignments:

• 2 March 1901: Entered the Army as a Fähnrich in the 2. Hannoversches Dragoner-Regiment Nr.16.
• 1 October 1906: Detached to the Military Riding Institute.
• 1 October 1908-21 July 1911: Detached to the War Academy.
• 16 June 1911-21 July 1911: At the same time, detached to the Fußartillerie-Regiment von Hindersin (1. Pommersches) Nr.2.
• 1 April 1912: Detached to the Great General Staff.
• 22 March 1914: Transferred to the Great General Staff.
• 2 August 1914: General Staff Officer in the 9th Cavalry Division.
• 9 September 1916: Transferred to the General Staff of the 75th Reserve Division.
• October 1916: Transferred to the General Staff of the 6th Cavalry Division.
• November 1916: Transferred to the General Staff of the 7th Cavalry Division.
• 18 April 1917: Officer of the Army and detached to the General Staff of the Royal and Imperial Austro-Hungarian XII Army Corps.
• November 1917: General Staff Officer in the Senior Quarter Master of Army High Command 10.
• 28 March 1918: Transferred to the General Staff of the 234th Infantry Division.
• April 1918: Transferred to the General Staff of the XXVI Reserve Corps.
• 1 May 1919: Transferred to the General Staff of the Reichswehr-Brigade 20.
• 13 December 1919: Transferred to the Reich Defence Ministry.
• 1 April 1922: Squadron Chief in the 2nd (Prussian) Reiter [Mounted]-Regiment.
• 16 October 1922-11 November 1922: Detached to the Artillery Course.
• 1 October 1923: Transferred to the staff of the 6th Division.
• 1 February 1927: Commander of the 6th (Prussian) Reiter-Regiment.
• 19 September 1929-18 October 1929: Detached to the Firing Course for Heavy Infantry Weapons.
• 1 January 1931: Commandant of Insterburg.
• 30 November 1932: Retired from the Army.
• 1 October 1935: Joined the SS with the rank of SS-Standartenführer.
• 1 October 1935: On the staff of SS-Oberabschnitt [Main District] “North” (Training Consultant North).
• 15 April 1936: On the staff of SS-Oberabschnitt “Northwest” (Training Consultant Northwest).
• 15 May 1936: On the staff of SS-Oberabschnitt “North Sea” (Training Consultant North Sea).
• Member of the Lebensborn Society. [The Lebensborn or “Spring of Life” program was organized by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler to transform the German nation into an Aryan super race through selective breeding.]
• 1 July 1938: Placed at the disposal of the Army for employment.
• 26 August 1939: Commandant of Army Rear Area 580.
• 20 May 1941: Army High Command Leader Reserve.
• 24 June 1941: Armed Forces Commander of Ostland. [With headquarters in Riga, Braemer’s area of responsibility comprised the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia), known collectively as “Ostland,” and White Russia.].
• 30 January 1942: At the same time, on the staff of SS-Oberabschnitt “North Sea.”
• 20 April 1944: Army High Command Leader Reserve.
• 17 January 1945: General for Special Employment in Wehrkreis [Military District] Command I, Königsberg.
• 22 January 1945: General for Special Employment in Wehrkreis Command II, Stettin.
• 10 February 1945: Commandant of the Army Rear Area of the 11th Army.
• 4 March 1945: Army High Command Leader Reserve.
• 3 May 1945-October 1947: Prisoner of war in British captivity.
  • 9 January 1946: Transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1.
  • 6 October 1947: Transferred via Camp 43 to Camp 6 CIC Neuengamme (Civil Internment Camp).

Decorations & Awards:

• German Cross in Silver: [No details available]
• Prussian Royal Hohenzollern House Order, Knight’s Cross with Swords: 17 January 1917.
• Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914) with 1939 Clasp
• Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 Clasp
• War Merit Cross, 1st Class with Swords
• War Merit Cross, 2nd Class with Swords
• Prussian Princely Hohenzollern Honor Cross, 3rd Class with Swords
• Bavarian Military Merit Order, 4th Class with Swords
• Württemberg Friedrich Order, Knight 2nd Class with Swords
• Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion, Knight 1st Class with Oakleaf and Swords
• Oldenburg Friedrich-August Cross, 1st Class
• Oldenburg Friedrich-August Cross, 2nd Class
• 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)
• Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class with War Decoration
• Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
• Totenkopf [Death’s Head] Ring of the SS
• Honor Sword of the Reichsführer-SS

Braemer 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.