serviceyears branch death_date allegiance unit awards battles birth_date nickname rank article_title name
1939 -- 45 23px waffen-ss 13 april 2001 nazi germany 1st ss division leibstandarte ss adolf hitler knight in gold iron cross 1st class iron cross 2nd class 's eastern front medal cross of the iron cross german cross world war ii 5 october 1915 jupp sturmbannfuhrer josef diefenthal
 josef diefenthal
josef diefenthal

josef diefenthal -lrb- 5 october 1915 -- 13 april 2001 -rrb- was a sturmbannfuhrer -lrb- major -rrb- in the waffen-ss who was awarded the knight 's cross of the iron cross on 5 february 1945 for his exploits during the ardennes offensive , while in command of the 3rd battalion , 2nd ss panzer grenadier regiment , 1st ss division leibstandarte ss adolf hitler .
diefenthal was found guilty of war crimes committed during the battle of the bulge , and sentenced to death , which was later changed to life imprisonment .
he was released in 1956 .
till 1980 he was working as tax officer in the tax office in euskirchen/north rhine-westphalia .
