Georg Keppler Georg Keppler ( May 7 , 1894 – June 16 , 1966 ) was an SS - " Obergruppenführer " ( equiv . to a US Lieutenant General ) , a Heer and Polizei officer who served in both World War I and World War II . During World War II , Keppler commanded the 2 . SS - Division " Das Reich " , 3 . SS - Division " Totenkopf " , I . SS - Panzerkorps , III . ( germanische ) SS - Panzerkorps and the XVIII . SS - Armee - Korps . He was also a recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross . Early Life – World War I Service . Georg Keppler was a son of career - officer Oberst ( Colonel ) Otto Keppler and was born in Mainz , Grand Duchy of Hesse . After passing his Abitur in 1913 , he decided to join the Army and in October the same year began his studies at the military academy in Glogau . Following his graduation in May 1914 , he was assigned to the elite Füsilier Regiment " General - Feldmarschall Prinz Albrecht von Preußen " ( 1 . Hannoversches ) Nr . 73 . It was with this regiment Leutnant Keppler saw , for the first time , action in World War I . However , he was wounded in August 1914 and after recovering was transferred to the 19 . Reserve - Division . Before the war ended , Keppler was twice more wounded and received both classes of the Iron Cross . Following the Armistice in 1918 , he decided to leave the Army and settled in Hanover . Inter - war Years . On January 31 , 1920 following in the steps of Theodor Eicke and Sepp Dietrich , Keppler enlisted to the Schutzpolizei ( uniformed police ) in Hanover . In July 1926 , he left Hanover and joined the Landespolizei Thüringen ( state police ) in the town of Hildburghausen . For the next eight years Keppler remained a police officer , commanding various Landespolizei and Schutzpolizei regiments in Jena , Gotha and in Munich . After 14 years as a police officer , Keppler decided to leave and returned to the German Army with Infantrie - Regiment 32 . However he did not stay in the army for long and on October 10 , 1935 entered the SS - Verfügungstruppe . SS - Sturmbannführer ( Major ) Keppler was given command of the I . Battalion of SS - Standarte 1 , which later became SS . VT - Standarte " Deutschland " . Following the annexation of Austria into Greater Germany , Keppler moved to Vienna and received a new command – SS . VT - Standarte 3 . In September 1938 , this unit was awarded the honor title " Der Führer " and was eventually redesignated as the SS - Regiment " Der Führer " . He led this unit throughout the pre - war period , during which the regiment served as a " Wacht - Regiment " of the Reichsprotektor ( Governor ) of Bohemia and Moravia Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath . World War II service . In October 1939 , SS - Regiment " Der Führer " became a component of 2nd SS Division Das Reich . Keppler continued as its regimental commander throughout the operations in the West , Balkans and in Russia . In August 1940 , on personal recommendation of Paul Hausser , Keppler was awarded the " Ritterkreuz " . He remained with " Das Reich " until July 15 , 1941 , when he took over for injured Theodor Eicke as a commander of the " Totenkopf " Division . Upon Eicke ' s return on September 21 , 1941 , Keppler was given commanded of the SS - Division " Nord " . During the Fall 1941 he started to suffer from regular headaches and eventually had fallen seriously ill . After extensive medical examinations it was determined that Keppler had a brain tumor and spent the remainder of 1941 and the Spring 1942 in hospital under close medical care . In January 1942 , Keppler was promoted to SS - Gruppenführer ( equiv . to a US Major General ) and three months later was given command of the 2 . SS - Division " Das Reich " . In February 1943 , on the advice of his doctors , Keppler removed himself from an active field duty and assumed a number of administrative positions within the Waffen - SS , first in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and later in Hungary . After his promotion to SS - Obergruppenführer ( equiv . to a US Lieutenant General ) he was given again a field assignment as a commander of the I . SS - Panzerkorps , which he led from August 16 , 1944 until October 24 , 1944 , during the later stages of the Battle of Normandy . On October 30 , 1944 Keppler returned to the Eastern Front , where he took over the III . ( germanische ) SS - Panzerkorps . He remained with this unit until April 2 , 1945 when he became the last commander of the XVIII . SS - Armeekorps , surrendering to the U . S . forces on May 22 , 1945 . After the war Keppler was imprisoned , but was released in 1948 and settled in Hamburg , where he died on June 16 , 1966 .