Hanns - Heinrich Lohmann Hanns Heinrich Lohmann ( 24 April 1911 – 25 May 1995 ) was an Obersturmbannführer ( Lieutenant Colonel ) , in the Waffen SS during World War II , who was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves . Early life . Hanns Heinrich Lohmann was born on 24 April 1911 in Gütersloh . After he finished school he joined the Sparkasse bank in 1929 . He also had an interest in athletics , training at the sports schools at Korbach and Essen . During this time he also worked part - time as a police officer in Münster . In November 1935 he fractured his left ankle in a sporting accident . After recovering from the injury in 1936 , he was promoted to Obersturmführer ( First Lieutenant ) and posted to the SS - Junkerschule , at Bad Tölz as a lecturer , holding the position of Adjutant from 1937 and completing the Company commanders course at the same time . In November 1938 he was posted to the " Deutschland " Regiment and was promoted to Hauptsturmführer ( Captain ) . World War II . Between 1939 and 1940 he was on the staff of the army General staff , before returning to the SS Junkerschule at Bad Tölz for three months as the director of training . In June 1941 he was given command of the new Regiment " Westland " , " Wiking " Division , which was just being formed and took part in the invasion of Russia , ( Operation Barbarossa ) . In the spring of 1942 Lohmann caught Malaria . Returning to duty in October 1942 , he was given command of the I . Battalion , SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment " Nordland " , still in the " Wiking " Division which was now fighting in the Caucasus . The division was involved in some heavy fighting in the Kotenikovo and Simovniki region . They subsequently covered the retreat of Army Group A from the Cacasus . For his part in these actions Lohmann was awarded the German Cross in Gold and promoted to Sturmbannführer ( Major ) in February 1943 . In May 1943 , Lohmann ' s regiment was being rested in the Grafenwöhr training area , and then was assigned to the 11th SS Division " Nordland " . During this time , Lohmann was given command of the III . Battalion , " Norge " Regiment . This should have been an armoured battalion , but due to a lack of equipment and a shortage of SdKfz 251 armoured half tracks , they remained a motorised battalion and saw service in Italy after the Italian surrender and Croatia . In August 1943 , Lohmann was sent on a training course for armoured troops in Paris and on his return the division was relocated to the Oranienbaum sector of the Siege of Leningrad . Lohmann ' s battalion was involved in the defence of the retreating Sponheimer Group along the Leningrad – Narva Highway and he was wounded on 2 February 1944 . It was for his battalion ' s actions during this time that Lohmann was awarded the Knight ' s Cross and a promotion to Sturmbannführer ( Major ) . After he was released from hospital in April 1944 he spent the summer at Bad Tölz on a regimental commanders training course . He was then posted to the Wachbattalion , Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler , in Berlin . At the end of October 1944 , he was posted to the III ( Germanic ) SS Panzer Corps and given command of the 49th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment " De Ruyter " part of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland , which was in the Kurland region . Lohmann was promoted to Obersturmbannführer in January 1945 , and joined what was left of his regiment in the Gollnow area . He was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight ' s Cross by order of Generalleutnant Unrein who at the time was the commander of the III ( Germanic ) SS Panzer Corps in February 1945 . Post war . Lohmann survived the war and died in his home town on 25 May 1995 .