Egon Christophersen Egon Christophersen was a Unterscharführer in the Waffen SS during World War II . He was the first of three Dane s to be recipients of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross , which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II . He survived the war and died in Denmark at the age of 68 . Early life . Egon Christophersen was born on 8 February 1919 in Strøby in Stevns , Denmark . He attended the local school in Strøby from the age of seven and worked on the experimental farm " Little Køgegaard " from the age of fourteen with his three brothers . World War II . During World War II , Christophersen joined the DNSAP and became a member of its " Storm Section " ( SA ) . He volunteered to join the Waffen SS on 7 April 1941 . He was posted to Graz to complete his basic training with the Training and Reserve Battalion , SS Regiment " Der Führer " . After completing his training he was posted to 11th Company , SS Regiment " Norland " , 5th SS Division " Wiking " in August 1941 , later transferring to the 9th Company . SS " Wiking " was by now engaged on the Eastern Front and Christophersen was again transferred , this time to 2nd Company , SS Regiment " Norland " . In May 1942 , he was promoted to Sturmmann . He was wounded in the right and left thighs during fighting in the Caucasus and was evacuated to a military hospital in September 1942 . After recovering from his wounds , he was posted to the SS Regiment " Westland " Training and Reserve Battalion in Graz . Christophersen remained in Graz until February 1943 , when he returned to his former division , " Wiking " , now a SS Panzergrenadier Division . He was awarded the Iron Cross II class for his bravery in the Caucasus and in May , was promoted to Unterscharführer . In May 1943 Christophersen was transferred to the new SS Division 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division " Nordland " which was formed around the SS Regiment " Norland " , based in Grafenwohr . He was assigned to 7th Company , 24th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment " Danmark " , which was mostly made up of soldiers from Denmark . After completing of its formation training , his unit was sent to Croatia to counter Josip Broz Tito ' s Partisans . Egon ' s brother Viggo , who had also joined the Waffen SS , was killed during this time . The 11th SS " Norland " together with the 5th SS " Wiking " now formed the III ( Germanic ) SS Panzer Corps and moved to the front line in the former Baltic states at Narva . Narva . Christophersen and the 7th Company were dug in south of Narva and east of the Kreenholm beside the borough of Dolgaya Niva . They come under attack on 20 , 22 , 25 , 26 and 28 May and 12 June from strong Russian forces . It was for his actions on 12 June that Chistophersen became the first Danish volunteer to receive the Knight ' s Cross . On that day , a strong Russian attack force overran outpost " Sunshine " held by members of the 7th Company on the far southeastern corner of the Narva Front , and began to besiege both the remnants of the 7th and the II . Battalion . Acting upon his own initiative , Christophersen assembled all of the survivors of 7th Company that he could find in no man ' s land and led them in a counterattack to regain the old company positions . In the course of fierce hand - to - hand combat with a powerful enemy force , he and his men were able to recapture Outpost " Sunshine " and stabilize the front . He was immediately awarded the Iron Cross ( 1st Class ) by battalion commander Hauptsturmführer Heinz Hämel . He was also nominated for the Knight ' s Cross which he soon received on 11 July 1944 . Only three Danes received the Knight ' s Cross during World War II . The two other Danes were Obersturmführer s Soeren Kam and Johannes Helmers , both of whom were officers . Post war . Christophersen survived the war and returned to live in Køge in Denmark . He worked at Ørum Hansen ' s Machinefactory for over thirty years . He died on 15 January 1988 .