serviceyears branch commands death_place death_date birth_place allegiance awards battles birth_date rank article_title name
1935 -- 45 , 1956 -- 71 luftwaffe fallschirmjäger-regiment 5 fallschirmjäger-regiment 16 lauf-aubach 5 september 2004 chemnitz nazi germany -lrb- to 1945 -rrb- west germany knight leaves 's cross of the iron cross with oak world war ii 9 january 1913 oberstleutnant -lrb- wehrmacht -rrb- oberst -lrb- bundeswehr -rrb- gerhart schirmer
 gerhart schrimer
gerhart schirmer

gerhart schrimer -lrb- 9 january 1913 -- 5 september 2004 -rrb- was a highly decorated oberstleutnant in the fallschirmjäger during world war ii and an oberst in the bundeswehr .
he was also a recipient 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 .
gerhart schrimer was captured by british troops in 1945 and then handed over to soviet troops .
he was held until 1956 ; later that year he joined the bundeswehr and served until retirement in 1971 .
