(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins & W. Petz)

General der Infanterie Sigismund von Förster
Born: 23 Jun 1887 in Sonderburg, Alsen
Died: 12 Jan 1959 in Bremen
Promotions:
Fähnrich (28 Feb 1907); Leutnant (27 Jan 1908); Oberleutnant (08 Nov 1914); Hauptmann (18 Dec 1915); Major (01 Feb 1927); Major (01 Feb 1927); Oberstleutnant (01 Mar 1931); Oberst (01 Oct 1933); Generalmajor (01 Aug 1936); Generalleutnant (01 Apr 1938); General der Infanterie (01 May 1943)
Career:
Entered Army Service (28 Feb 1907)
Fähnrich in the 31st Infantry-Regiment (28 Feb 1907-03 Aug 1914)
Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 31st Infantry-Regiment (15 Jan 1911-31 Mar 1914)
In the Field as Regiments-Adjutant of the 31st Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (03 Aug 1914-15 Nov 1916)
Temporary Adjutant of the 81st Infantry-Brigade (15 Nov 1916-02 Dec 1916)
Delegated with the Leadership of the I. Battalion of the 31st Reserve-Infantry-Regiment (02 Dec 1916-07 Dec 1916)
Officer of the Army and Assigned for use in General-Staff-Service to Army High Command 1 (07 Dec 1916-10 Dec 1916)
General-Staff-Officer with the Staff of the 14th Bavarian Infantry-Division (10 Dec 1916-06 Feb 1917)
General-Staff-Officer with the Staff of the 38th Infantry-Division (06 Feb 1917-10 Mar 1917)
General-Staff-Officer with the Staff of the 18th Infantry-Division (10 Mar 1917-24 Mar 1917)
Transferred into a General-Staff-Office of the 12th Infantry-Division (24 Mar 1917-26 Dec 1917)
At the same time, Detached as Battery-Leader to the 21st Field-Artillery-Regiment (09 Jul 1917-01 Aug 1917)
At the same time, Detached to the Staff of the II. Battalion of the 21st Field-Artillery-Regiment (02 Aug 1917-10 Aug 1917)
Transferred to the Army General Staff (26 Dec 1917-28 Nov 1918)
Transferred back into the 31st Infantry-Regiment (28 Nov 1918-08 Mar 1919) 1st General-Staff-Officer of the 33rd Reichswehr-Brigade (04 Aug 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred into the 2nd Reichswehr-Rifle-Regiment while retaining previous position (01 Oct 1919-18 Nov 1919)
Signals-Advisor with Military-District-Command V (18 Nov 1919-30 Apr 1920)
Detached to the RWM, Air Peace Commission (30 Apr 1920-16 May 1920)
Transferred as Intelligence-Officer into the Staff of the Group-Command 1 (16 May 1920-01 Oct 1920)
Transferred to the Staff of the 1st Division (01 Oct 1920-01 Apr 1922)
Transferred to the Staff of the 5th Division and Detached to the 5th Motor-Transport-Battalion (01 Apr 1922-01 Oct 1923)
Hauptmann with the Staff of the Training-Battalion of the 1st Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1923-01 Nov 1923)
Chief of the 2nd Company of the 1st Infantry-Regiment (01 Nov 1923-11 Jan 1926)
Detached to the Staff of Infantry-Leader II (11 Jan 1926-01 Apr 1926)
Transferred to the Staff of Infantry-Leader II (01 Apr 1926-01 Feb 1928)
Detached to Artillery-Course for Night-Artillery in Jüterbog (04 Oct 1927-19 Oct 1927)
Transferred to the Staff of Infantry-Leader III (01 Feb 1928-01 Oct 1930)
Detached to Gas-Protection-Course in Berlin (25 Feb 1929-02 Mar 1929)
Detached to Firing Course for Heavy Infantry Weapons in Döberitz (03 May 1929-02 Jun 1929)
Commander of the I. Battalion of the 5th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1930-01 Oct 1932)
Commandant of Deutsch-Krone (01 Oct 1932-01 Oct 1934)
Commander of Border-Section-Command Deutsch-Krone (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Commander of Army-Service-Office 2, Deutsch-Krone (15 Oct 1935-01 Jan 1936)
Military-Replacement-Inspector Erfurt (01 Jan 1936-01 Apr 1938)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 24th Division (01 Apr 1938-10 Nov 1938)
Commander of the 26th Division (10 Nov 1938-26 Sep 1939)
Commander of the 26th Infantry-Division (26 Sep 1939-15 Jan 1941)
Commander of the 97th Light Division (15 Jan 1941-15 Apr 1941)
Führer-Reserve OKH (15 Apr 1941-01 Oct 1941)
Detached to the Staff of the Commander Army-Area South (01 Oct 1941-07 Jul 1942)
Commandant of Rear Army Area 550 (07 Jul 1942-21 Nov 1942)
Führer-Reserve OKH, Placed to the Disposal of Army High Command 17 for the execution of Special Tasks (21 Nov 1942-25 Nov 1942)
Commanding General Special-Purpose-General-Command Förster (25 Nov 1942-26 Jan 1943)
Commandant Taman (26 Jan 1943-03 Feb 1943)
Commander of the Kerch Straight (03 Feb 1943-01 May 1943)
Commander West Taurida (Westtaurien) (01 May 1943-13 Feb 1944)
At the same time, Commander Crimea (XXXXII. Army-Corps) (22 Jul 1943-15 Oct 1943)
Commander Crimea (22 Jul 1943-13 Feb 1944)
Commanding General of LXXII. Special-Purpose-Army-Corps (13 Feb 1944-00 Sep 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKH (10 Sep 1944-25 Sep 1944)
Commanding General of Higher Command Niederrhein (25 Sep 1944-20 Apr 1945)
In Captivity (20 Apr 1945-1947)
Released (1947)

Awards & Decorations:
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 22.07.1943 als General der Infanterie und Befehlshaber der Strasse Kertsch
- RK des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern: 20.12.1917
- 1914 EK I
- 1914 EK II
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
- k.u.k. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 01.10.1938
- Spange zum EK I
- Spange zum EK II
- Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942”
- Grosskreuz des Kgl. Rumän. Ordens der Krone mit Schwertern


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