SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11


NAME: Generalleutnant Dr. jur. Ernst Klepp

PW NO:          511838

RANK:            Generalleutnant

CAPTURED:   Norway

DATE:             11th December 19 45

PERSONAL
DATE OF BIRTH:     24 December 1889

PLACE OF BIRTH:   Preßburg

DATE OF DEATH:   18 August 1958

PLACE OF DEATH: Graz

NATIONALITY:       Austrian

RELIGION:               Roman Catholic

OCCUPATION:        Regular Soldier

HEIGHT:                   6'1"

WEIGHT:                  150lbs
HAIR COLOUR:       Grey partly bald

EYE COLOUR:         Brown

NEXT OF KIN:         British Zone of Austria

Promotions:

  • Leutnant: 18 August 1910
  • Oberleutnant: 1 August 1914
  • Hauptmann: 1 May 1917
  • Major (Titel): 1 January 1921
  • Stabs-Hauptmann: 23 June 1923
  • Major: 19 January 1926
  • Oberstleutnant: 10 February 1931
  • Oberst: 16 May 1934
  • Oberst in the German Army: 15 March 1938 (RDA 1 March 1936)
  • Generalmajor: 1 April 1942
  • Generalleutnant: 1 April 1944

Commands & Assignments:

  • 18 August 1908: Entered the Austro-Hungarian Army as a Leutnant in Infanterieregiment Erzherzog Joseph Nr.37.
  • 1914-1916: Platoon and Company Commander.
  • 1919-1920: Officer in liquidation service with various replacement offices; in the Southern Steiermark Border Defense Command; Leader of the Homecoming Consultation to the Land Commander of Steiermark.
  • 1921: Administrative Officer in the Army Administration of the Homecoming Group to the Land Commander of Steiermark.
  • 1 April 1920: Group Leader for Organization in the Graz Army Administrative Office.
  • 1 July 1923: Transferred to Alpenjäger-Regiment 10.
  • 25 October 1924: Doctor of Law (Dr. jur.).
  • 3 March 1925: Aide to the leadership of Brigade Command 5.
  • 6 June 1925: Transferred to Infantry Regiment 5.
  • 1 February 1926: Returned to Alpenjäger-Regiment 10.
  • 1 April 1928: Allocated for service in Brigade Command 5.
  • 28 March 1930: Allocated for service in the Graz Army Administrative Office.
  • 1 August 1931: Leader of the Graz Army Administrative Office.
  • 15 October 1933: Transferred to Brigade Command 5.
  • 15 February 1935: Chief of Staff of the Klangenfurt Military Command.
  • 1 August 1935: Chief of Staff of the 7th Division.
  • 1 December 1935: Transferred into the Operations Department of the Federal Ministry of National Defense.
  • 1 October 1936: Chief of Staff of the 3rd Division.
  • 15 March 1938: Accepted into the German Army.
  • 1 April 1938: Transferred to the staff of the 45th Division.
  • 10 November 1938: Transferred to the staff of Infantry Regiment 30 of the 18th Infantry Division.
  • 26 August 1939: Army High Command Leader Reserve.
  • 20 August 1940: Commander of Infantry Regiment 526 of the 298th Infantry Division. [Commanded by Generalmajor Walther Gräßner (Generalmajor Arnold Szelinski from 1 January 1942), the 298th Infantry Division took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union from 22 June 1941 as a component of Army Group South.]
  • 1 April 1942: Army High Command Leader Reserve and, at the same time, delegated with the leadership of the 370th Infantry Division.
  • 20 April 1942: Commander of the 370th Infantry Division. [Stationed in France, the 370th Infantry Division deployed to the Eastern Front arriving there in July 1942 where it served in the Caucasus during the German summer offensive.]  
  • 13 September 1942: Army High Command Leader Reserve.
  • July 1943-November 1943: Commander of the Fortress Brigade “Crete.”
  • 20 November 1943-24 January 1944: Commander of the 4th Field Division (Luftwaffe) on the Eastern Front in static positions north of Vitebsk, Russia. 
  • 15 March 1944: Commander of the 133rd Fortress Division on Crete.
  • 15 January 1945-9 May 1945: Commander of the 702nd Infantry Division in Norway. [Headquartered at Trondheim, the division served under Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Neumann’s XXXIII Army Corps garrisoning central Norway. At the time of the German surrender, Generalleutnant Dr. jur. Klepp’s division consisted of Grenadier-Regiments 722, 742 and 772, Fortress Battalion 654, Artillerie-Abteilung 662, and fusilier, anti-tank, engineer and signals battalions numbered 702.]
  • 9 May 1945-1947: Prisoner of war.
    • 9th January 1946 transferred to Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 1
    • 9th January 1947 repatriated.

Decorations & Awards:

  • German Cross in Gold: 30 October 1941, Oberst, Commander of Infantry Regiment 526.
  • Iron Cross, 1st Class (1939)
  • Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1939)
  • Medal for the Winter Campaign in Russia 1941/1942 (“East Medal”)
  • Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class with War Decoration and Swords
  • Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration and Swords
  • Austrian Military Merit Medal (“Signum Laudis”) in Silver on the Ribbon on the Military Merit Cross with Swords
  • Austrian Military Merit Medal (“Signum Laudis”) in Bronze on the Ribbon on the Military Merit Cross with Swords
  • Austrian 1912-13 Commemoration Cross
  • Austrian Karl Troop Cross
  • Austrian War Commemorative Medal with Swords
  • Austrian Wound Medal
  • Armed Forces Long Service Awards
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