Egon Aghta

Egon Aghta
Born(1918-01-20)20 January 1918
Berlin
Died2 May 1945(1945-05-02) (aged 27)
Berlin
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Branch
Heer
Service years
1938–1945
Rank
Hauptmann (captain)
UnitSprengkommando I/Luftgau III
Conflicts
World War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Egon August Aghta (20 January 1918 – 2 May 1945) was a Hauptmann in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, a grade of the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Aghta was a bomb disposal technician and was responsible for defusing unexploded ordnance. He was killed in action during the Battle of Berlin.

Early life and career

Aghta was born on 20 January 1918 in Rosenthal, a subdivision of Pankow in Berlin of the German Empire. He was the son of a merchant who moved the family to Oranienburg where he ran a store store selling embroidery and wool fabrications. In Oranienburg, Aghta attended the Volksschule and attained the Mittlere Reife at the Real-Reform-Gymnsaium, now the Runge-Gymnasium Oranienburg.[1]

Following the compulsory labour service (Reichsarbeitsdienst), Aghta volunteered for military service in Heer, joining the I. Abteilung (1st department) of Artillerie-Regiment 3, an artillery regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division based in Frankfurt an der Oder.[2]

World War II

On Friday 1 September 1939 German forces had invaded Poland which marked the beginning of World War II. Serving with the 3rd Infantry Division, Aghta participated in the invasion of Poland. On 29 October, he was transferred to the Feuerwerker (ordnance technician) training course 39/I with the Höhere Technischen Lehranstalt des Heeres (higher technical training center of the army) in Berlin-Lichterfelde.[3]

On 16 September 1941 at 08:00, Aghta began working on an unexploded bomb found near Sachsenhausen, north of Oranienburg. The bomb detonated prematurely, severely injuring him in the face. He was immediately taken to the Charité and later to the Sankt-Gertrauden-Krankenhaus where he met is future wife. His injuries rendered him visually impaired.[4] While recovering from his injuries, Aghta was promoted to Wachtmeister im Feuerwerker-Dienst (master-sentinel ordnance technician) on 1 October. On 14 December, he received the Wound Badge in Silver (Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber) and the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) for having defused 30 unexploded bombs.[4] Following a period of convalescence, Aghta attended the Silex school for the blind, named after the German ophthalmologist Paul Silex, to cope with his impairment.[5]

On 3 February 1945, Aghta was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). Adolf Hitler personally presented him the award at the Reich Chancellery and at the same time promoted him to Oberleutnant (W).[6][7] On 12 March, Hitler awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) and promoted to Hauptmann (W). He was the 778th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht and only bomb disposal technician so honored.[8][9][10]

Aghta was killed on 2 May 1945 during the Battle of Berlin. Attempting to break out of the Soviet encirclement, he and his comrade Oberfeuerwerker Franz Böhm headed for Spandau. While crossing the Charlotten Bridge at approximately 09:15, Aghta was hit by Soviet machine gun fire in the neck, killing him instantly. Böhm buried him near the bridge, Aghta was latter reinterred at In den Kisseln in Spandau.[11]

Awards and decorations

Notes

  1. ↑ According to Thomas and Von Seemen as Leutnant (W).[5][7]
  2. 1 2 The suffix W in brackets after the rank denotes a Feuerwerker (pyrotechnician).[14]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Stockert 2008, pp. 152, 198.
  2. ↑ Stockert 2008, p. 152.
  3. ↑ Stockert 2008, pp. 152–153.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Stockert 2008, p. 153.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Thomas 1997, p. 3.
  6. ↑ Stockert 2008, p. 154.
  7. 1 2 Von Seemen 1976, p. 70.
  8. ↑ Stockert 2008, p. 155.
  9. ↑ Von Seemen 1976, p. 56.
  10. ↑ Damerau 1988, p. 90.
  11. ↑ Stockert 2008, p. 157.
  12. 1 2 3 Scherzer 2007, p. 188.
  13. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 114.
  14. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 29.
  15. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 99.

Bibliography

  • Damerau, Helmuth [in German], ed. (1988). "Egon August Aghta". Deutsches Soldatenjahrbuch 1988 (in German). 36. Munich, Germany: Schild Verlag. ISSN 0417-3635.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Scherzer, Veit [in German] (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Stockert, Peter (2008). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 8 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 8] (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. OCLC 76072662.
  • Thamm, August [in German] (2005). Egon August Agtha—Feuerwerker und Sprengkommandoführer Berlin 1945 [Egon August Agtha—Fireworks Expert and Demolition Squad Leader Berlin 1945] (in German). Mammendorf, Germany: pro literatur Verlag. ISBN 978-3-86611-034-2.
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
  • Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945: die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945: The Knight's Cross Bearers of All the Armed Services, Diamonds, Swords and Oak Leaves Bearers in the Order of Presentation: Appendix with Further Information and Presentation Requirements] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4.
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