(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)

Generalleutnant Walter Botsch
Born: 27 Feb 1897 in Braunsbach am Kocher, Oberamt K�nzelsau, W�rttemburg
Died: 07 Jan 1969 in Schw�bisch Gm�nd
Promotions:
Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter (07 Aug 1915); Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier (24 Oct 1915); F�hnrich (05 Sep 1916); Leutnant (05 Jan 1917); Oberleutnant (31 Jul 1925); Hauptmann (01 Jun 1932); Major (01 Apr 1936); Oberstleutnant (20 Mar 1939); Oberst (01 Apr 1941); Generalmajor (01 Sep 1943); Generalleutnant (01 Sep 1944)
Career:
Entered Army Service (20 Apr 1915)
Fahnenjunker in the Replacement-Battalion of the 124th Infantry-Regiment (20 Apr 1915-19 Nov 1915)
Detached to the Fahnenjunker-Course in D�beritz (28 Aug 1915-06 Nov 1915)
In the Field with the Regiment (19 Nov 1915-09 Aug 1916)
Wounded on the Somme, in Hospital (09 Aug 1916-06 Sep 1916)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 124th Infantry-Regiment (06 Sep 1916-15 Oct 1916)
Transferred to the Regiment in the Field (15 Oct 1916-17 Nov 1916)
Transferred to the Staff of the 53rd Infantry-Brigade (17 Nov 1916-25 Nov 1916)
Wounded in the Somme, in hospital (25 Nov 1916-21 Feb 1917)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 124th Infantry-Regiment (21 Feb 1917-23 Apr 1917)
At the same time, Detached to Grenade-Launcher-Course in M�nsingen (30 Mar 1917-06 Apr 1917)
Transferred to the Regiment in the Field (23 Apr 1917-10 May 1917)
Adjutant of the IV. Battalion and Temporary-Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 124th Infantry-Regiment (10 May 1917-25 Aug 1917)
Company-Officer in the 124th Infantry-Regiment (25 Aug 1917-23 Mar 1918)
Severely wounded on the Somme Front, in hospital (23 Mar 1918-24 Jun 1918)
Transferred to the 2nd Replacement-MG-Company of the XIII. Army-Corps (24 Jun 1918-10 Sep 1918)
Leader of the 3rd MG-Company of the 124th Infantry-Regiment (10 Sep 1918-20 Oct 1918)
Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 124th Infantry-Regiment (20 Oct 1918-15 Mar 1919)
Transferred into the 2nd W�rttemberg Volunteer-Regiment/Detachment Haas, M�nsingen (15 Mar 1919-28 Jul 1919)
Transferred into the 26th Reichswehr-Rifle-Regiment (28 Jul 1919-01 Oct 1920)
Transferred into the III. Battalion of the 25th Reichswehr-Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1920-01 Jan 1921)
Adjutant of the II. Battalion of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1921-01 Oct 1923)
Detached to Course I at the Infantry-School (21 Sep 1923-01 Oct 1923)
Company-Officer in the 15th Company of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1923-01 Oct 1924)
Detached to Weapons-School-Course on the Troop-Exercise-Grounds Ohrdruf (01 May 1924-15 Aug 1924)
Company-Officer in the 16th Company of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1924-01 Aug 1926)
Detached to the 8th MG-Company of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (27 Apr 1925-25 May 1925)
Detached to the 5th Artillery-Regiment (01 Jul 1926-30 Sep 1926)
Company-Officer in the 3rd Company of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Aug 1926-01 Oct 1928)
At the same time, Detached to the 1st Motor-Transport-Battalion and to the 1st Signals-Battalion (01 Jun 1927-30 Sep 1927)
Detached for Subsidiary-Leadership-Training with the Staff of the 7th Division (01 Oct 1927-01 Jul 1928)
At the same time, Detached to the 13th Mounted-Regiment (01 Jul 1928-30 Sep 1928)
Transferred into the 4th Mounted-Regiment (01 Oct 1928-01 Oct 1929)
MG-Officer with the Staff of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Oct 1929-01 Apr 1933)
Detached to Course for Physical-Training in W�nsdorf (23 Feb 1931-07 Mar 1931)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 13th Infantry-Regiment (01 Apr 1933-01 Aug 1934)
Transferred into the Staff of the 5th Division (01 Aug 1934-01 Oct 1934)
Transferred into the General-Staff of Military-District-Command V (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Detached to the General-Staff of V. Army-Corps (15 Oct 1935-01 Aug 1936)
Transferred into the General-Staff of V. Amy-Corps (01 Aug 1936-06 Oct 1936)
Company-Chief in the 35th Infantry-Regiment (06 Oct 1936-10 Sep 1937)
Transferred into the Military-Economics-Staff in the in Wehrmacht-Office, RKM (10 Sep 1937-04 Feb 1938)
Transferred into the Military-Economics-Staff in the in Wehrmacht-Office, OKW (04 Feb 1938-09 Oct 1939)
Chief of Operations (Ia) in the General-Staff of XXX. Army-Corps (09 Oct 1939-25 Oct 1940)
Chief of the General Staff of XXX. Army-Corps (25 Oct 1940-01 Jun 1943)
F�hrer-Reserve OKH (01 Jun 1943-20 Jun 1943)
Chief of the General Staff of Army-Group Felber (20 Jun 1943-26 Aug 1943)
Chief of the General Staff of 19th Army (26 Aug 1943-01 Jan 1945)
F�hrer-Reserve OKH (01 Jan 1945-26 Jan 1945)
Detached to Army-Group G for use as a Divisional-Commander (26 Jan 1945-05 Feb 1945)
Commander of the 18th Volksgrenadier-Division, (also later known as Corps-Group Botsch) (05 Feb 1945-06 Mar 1945)
Commanding General of LIII. Army-Corps (06 Mar 1945-24 Mar 1945)
Commanding General of LVIII. Panzer-Corps (24 Mar 1945-16 Apr 1945)
Captured in the Ruhr Pocket, in US Captivity (16 Apr 1945-00 Nov 1947)
Released (00 Nov 1947)

Awards & Decorations
- Ritterkreuz (5082): am 08.05.1945 als Generalleutnant und Kommandierender General des LIII Armee-Korps/ Heeresgruppe B/ OB West
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (133/2): am 22.06.1942 als Oberst i. G. und Chef des Generalstab XXX Armee-Korps/ 11 Armee/ Heeresgruppe S�d
- 1939 EK I �Spange-: 19.06.1940
- 1939 EK II �Spange-: 20.04.1940
- 1914 EK I: 06.07.1918
- 1914 EK II: 10.08.1916
- Kgl. W�rttembg. Goldene Milit�r-Verdienstmedaille: 16.11.1917
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Silber: 08.08.1918
- Ehrenkreuz f�r Frontk�mpfer: 21.01.1935
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung II Klasse: 02.10.1936
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938: 02.10.1939
- Spange �Prager Burg� zur Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938: 02.10.1939
- Kgl. Bulgar. Tapferkeitsorden III Klasse
- Rum�n. Orden �Michael der Tapfere� III Klasse: 08.05.1942
- Medaille �Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942�: 30.07.1942
- Krimschild: 09.09.1942


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