Karl von Graffen

Karl von Graffen
Born6 June 1893
Plön, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died1 November 1964(1964-11-01) (aged 71)
Grödersby, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany
Allegiance German Empire
Weimar Republic
Nazi Germany
Branch
Prussian Army
Imperial German Army
Reichswehr
Army (Wehrmacht)
Service years
1911–1945
Rank
Generalleutnant
Commands58th Infantry Division
LXXVI Panzer Corps
Conflicts
World War I World War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl von Graffen (6 June 1893 – 1 November 1964) was a highly decorated German general during World War II who held divisional and corps level commands. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.

In the First World War Graffen fought in Crimea, Ypres, Ginchy, Arras and Yser earning the second and first class Iron Cross. He served with the 60th Artillery Regiment and the 65th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment[1].

Graffen was taken prisoner in May 1945 by the US 85th Infantry Division near Belluno, Italy, and was released in March 1948.

His granddaughter, Angela Findlay, has written a book (In my Grandfather's Shadow ISBN 978-0-552-17772-6) about her relationship to his legacy[2]. Findlay has also discussed this on a number of Podcasts and at Book Festivals[3].

Awards and decorations

Sources

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Findlay, Angela (2022). In My Grandfather's Shadow: A Story of War, Trauma and the Legacy of Silence. Bantam Press. ISBN 978-1787634060.
  • Operation Report of 337th Infantry Regiment. National Archives, College Park, MD. 1945.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

References

  1. ↑ Findlay, Angela (2022). In My Grandfather's Shadow: A Story of War, Trauma and the Legacy of Silence. Bantam Press. ISBN 978-1-78763-406-0.
  2. ↑ https://www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories-library/angela-findlay/
  3. ↑ https://www.angelafindlaytalks.com/dan-snows-history-hit-my-grandfather-the-wehrmacht-general-in-russia/
  4. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 167.
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