serviceyears branch commands relations death_place death_date birth_place allegiance awards battles birth_date rank article_title name
1910 -- 45 '' '' reichswehr '' -lrb- 1918 -- 33 -rrb- '' heer deutsches '' -lrb- 1933 -- 34 -rrb- '' luftwaffe '' -lrb- heer 1934 -- 45 -rrb- '' -lrb- 1910 -- 18 -rrb- iv . fliegerkorps luftflotte 1 johann pflugbeil -lrb- brother -rrb- weede 31 may 1955 hütten german to 1933 -rrb- nazi germany empire -lrb- to 1918 -rrb- weimar republic -lrb- knight leaves 's cross of the iron cross with oak world war i world war ii 9 may 1890 general der flieger kurt pflugbeil
 kurt pflugbeil
kurt pflugbeil

kurt leopold pflugbeil -lrb- 9 may 1890 -- 31 may 1955 -rrb- was a highly decorated general der flieger in the wehrmacht during world war ii , and one of only 882 recipients of the knight 's cross of the iron cross with oak leaves .
the knight 's cross of the iron cross and its higher grade oak leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership .
pflugbeil saw notable action on the eastern front , where he managed `` vi fliegerkorps '' during the second battle of kharkov , battle of stalingrad and siege of sevastopol .
kurt pflugbeil was captured by soviet troops in the courland pocket in 1945 .
in 1950 he was sentenced to 25 years hard labour , but was released early in 1954 due to ill health .
