Generaloberst (Luftwaffe) Kurt Arthur Benno Student

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: Generaloberst Kurt Arthur Benno Student (Luftwaffe)

PW NO: A938988
RANK: Generaloberst
CAPTURED: Meyn bein Flensburg
DATE: 28 May 1945

PERSONAL

D.O.B: 12 May 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH: Birkholz / Kreis Züllichau-Schwiebus
DIED: 1 July 1978
PLACE OF DEATH: Lemgo / Lippe
NATIONALITY:
RELIGION:
OCCUPATION:
HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
NEXT OF KIN:

Promotions:

Fähnrich: 3 March 1910 (with effect from 1 March 1910)
Leutnant: 20 March 1911 (Patent 24 June 1909)
Oberleutnant: 18 June 1915
Hauptmann: 20 June 1918 (RDA 5 October 1916)
Major: 1 January 1930
Oberstleutnant: 1 January 1934
Oberst: 20 January 1935
Generalmajor: 1 April 1938
Generalleutnant: 1 January 1940
General der Flieger (later, General der Fallschirmtruppe): 1 August 1940
Generaloberst: 13 July 1944

Commands & Assignments:

3 March 1910-1 August 1911: Assigned to Jäger-Bataillon Graf Yorck von Wartenburg (Ostpreußisches) Nr.1, Ortelsburg.
1 May 1910-1 March 1911: Detached for pilot training at the Military Flying School Berlin-Johannisthal (pilot's license on 8 August 1913).

1 February 1914-31 March 1914: Detached to Flying Station Posen and Flieger-Bataillon 2, Posen.
2 June 1914-1 August 1914: Detached as a pilot with Flieger-Bataillon 2, Posen.
2 August 1914-9 February 1916: Transferred as a pilot to Feldflieger-Abteilung [Field Flying Detachment] 17.
10 February 1916-16 May 1916: Assigned as a pilot to Kampfstaffel 19 / Kampfgeschwader 4 of the Army High Command.
17 May 1916-15 October 1916: Assigned as a pilot to Army Fokkerstaffel [Fokker Squadron--equipped with Fokker "eindecker" scouts] of the 3^rd Army.
7 October 1916-15 October 1916: Assigned as a pilot to Jagdstaffel [Fighter Squadron] 9.
16 October 1916-2 May 1917: Commander of Jagdstaffel 9.
2 May 1917-11 July 1917: Wounded in aerial combat/in hospital.
12 July 1917-24 February 1918: Commander of the Jagdgruppe [Fighter Group] of the 3^rd Army.
25 February 1918-1 March 1918: Transferred to Fliegerersatz-Abteilung [Flying Replacement Detachment] 3, Gotha.
2 March 1918-13 June 1918: Flight leader in Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 3, Gotha.
14 June 1918-30 September 1919: Detachment leader for Experiments and Science at Alderhorst in the Command of Flight Masters / Flieger-Abteilung A.
1 October 1919-31 March 1920: Transferred to the Abwicklungsstelle in the Inspectorate of Weapons and Equipment / Reich War Ministry.
1 April 1920-30 September 1921: Consultant for flight technology in the Inspectorate of Weapons and Equipment / Reich War Ministry.
1 October 1921-30 October 1921: Commandant of Troop Training Area Arys and, at the same time, detached to the Army Peace Commission.
30 October 1921-30 April 1922: Illness following the crash of a sport glider on a flight attempt - transferred to Kraftfahr-Abteilung [Transport Battalion] 3.
1 May 1922-30 November 1922: Transferred to the Inspectorate of Weapons and Equipment / Reich War Ministry.
1 December 1922-31 October 1928: Consultant and leader of Group "Flight Technology" in the Inspectorate of Weapons and Equipment / Reich War Ministry.
1 November 1928-30 November 1928: On the staff of the Replacement Battalion of Infantry Regiment 2.
1 December 1928-31 December 1928: Transferred to the 10. Company of Infantry Regiment 2.
1 January 1929-31 January 1931: Company chief in Infantry Regiment 2.
1 February 1931-31 January 1933: Commander of I./Infantry Regiment 2.
19 May 1931-6 October 1931: Detached to special aviation course in Würzburg.
13 November 1932-27 November 1932: Detached to special aviation course in Würzburg.
1 February 1933-31 August 1933: Transferred to the Kommandantur Berlin.
1 September 1933: Transferred from the Army to the Luftwaffe.
1 September 1933-30 September 1933: Officer for special duties to the Reich Aviation Ministry.
1 October 1933-31 July 1935: Commander of the Technical Training Schools of the Luftwaffe, Jüterbog.
1 August 1935-30 September 1936: Commander of the Test Center for Flying Equipment and Military Airfield Commandant Rechlin.
8 September 1935-17 September 1935: Commander of Flieger-Regiment 3 (1935 Reich Party Day in Nürnberg).
1 October 1936-28 February 1937: Commander of the Aviation Weapons School and Chief of Staff to the Command of Flying Schools.
1 March 1937-30 September 1937: Inspector of Flying Schools.
1 October 1937-31 March 1938: Higher Air Commander IV.
1 April 1938-3 July 1938: Commander of the 3. Flieger-Division [Air Division].
4 July 1938-31 August 1938: Commander of the Parachute Troops and Air Landing Troops.
1 September 1938-30 September 1940: Commander of 7. Flieger-Division (Parachute Troops).
1 February 1939-31 May 1941: At the same time, Inspector of Parachute Troops and Air Landing Troops.
14 May 1940-1 January 1941: Wounded/in hospital/on leave [Student was struck in the head by a stray bullet while in Rotterdam negotiating the Dutch surrender. The bullet was probably fired by troops of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment.].
1 January 1941-1 March 1944: Commanding General of the XI. Fliegerkorps. [On 23 May 1941, General Student and his staff flew into Crete to personally supervise the battle.]

Photo shows him aboard his aircraft en route to Crete during the German airborne invasion in 1941. His medal ribbons, Wound Badge, Luftwaffe Combined Pilot/Observer Badge, and World War I Imperial German Army Pilot's Badge are shown to good advantage in this photo.

1 June 1941-28 February 1944: At the same time, Commanding General of the Parachute Troops.
1 March 1944-4 November 1944: Commander-in-Chief, 1. Fallschrim-Armee [Parachute Army].
27 October 1944-4 November 1944: At the same time, Commander of Army Group Student.
7 November 1944-25 January 1945: Commander-in-Chief, Army Group H.
25 January 1945-8 May 1945: Commander-in-Chief of the Parachute Troops.
28 January 1945-30 March 1945: Führer Reserve Luftwaffe High Command.
31 March 1945-10 April 1945: Commander, Army Group Student.
10 April 1945-28 April 1945: Commander-in Chief, 1. Fallschrim-Armee.
29 April 1945-8 May 1945: Commander-in-Chief of Army Group Weichsel [Vistula]. [On 29 April 1945, Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel personally dismissed Generaloberst Gotthard Heinrici from command of Army Group Weichsel for conducting an unauthorized withdrawal. Keitel named Generaloberst Kurt Student as his replacement. However, Student did not arrive from Holland to assume physical command of Army Group Weichsel until 1 May 1945. In the meantime, General der Infanterie Kurt von Tippelskirch had been persuaded by Generalfeldmarschall Keitel and Generaloberst Alfred Jodl to assume acting command of the army group on 29 April 1945 pending Student’s arrival. On 2 May 1945, the day after Student took command, the end was clearly in sight as American tanks overran the Amy Group Weichsel quartermaster section in Schwerin; Student narrowly escaped capture.]
28 May 1945-1948: Prisoner of war in British captivity.
- 31st March 1946 transferred to LDC (London District Cage) from Island Farm Special Camp 11

After the war Student was charged with war crimes that allegedly took place in Crete. He was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment but was released after serving only two years.
- Student was found guilty on three out of eight charges but the finding and sentence was not confirmed by the convening authority (Commander of the 30th Corps District). He was subsequently wanted for extradition to Greece, but was released on medical grounds (the long trip would have further aggravated his brain injury sustained during the invasion of Holland in 1940). (Chris Madsen, Associate Professor Canadian Forces College, Toronto)

Aerial Victories:

During World War I, Kurt Student scored six confirmed aerial victories (and one unconfirmed Russian aircraft on the Eastern Front) as a fighter pilot on the Western Front.

Number Date Unit Opponent Location
Unconfirmed 30 September 1915 FFA 17 Moraine Galicia
1. 6 July 1916 AOK 3 Nieuport 11 Peronne
2. 1 August 1916 AOK 3 Caudron Vaux
3. 8 August 1916 AOK 3 Nieuport North St.Souplet
4. 16 March 1917 Jasta 9 Nieuport ?
5. 22 August 1917 Jasta 9 Nieuport Hill 304
6. 1 November 1917 Jasta 9 Nieuport South of Ripont

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General Student (right) and General Julius Ringel, GCO 5th Gebirgs-Division (left), planning a new attack, Crete, 1941	General Student (right) and Oberst Bruno Bräuer (centre) during a tour of the island of Crete at the close of the campaign, 1941