Wilhelm Falley
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Falley was the first German
general
to be killed during the Normandy Landings in France
. He was commander of the 91st Infantry Division. Falley was killed by a paratrooper of the US 82nd Airborne Division, near Sainte-Mère-Église
, Normandy
.
, Alsace-Lorraine
(at that time a part of the German Empire
), on September 25, 1897. Falley joined the Imperial German Army
straight from school. Enlisted in the 93rd Infantry Regiment, he fought during the First World War as a junior officer. After the war, he continued his career in the army, gradually climbing the ranks. In 1936, Falley became an instructor at the military school in Munich
.
Falley was Company Commander twice during the 1930s in the 5th Infantry Regiment, first the 5th Company and later the 18th Company. Following two battalion commands, 3-238th Infantry and 2-433rd Infantry, Falley was appointed commander of the 4th Infantry Regiment on April 21, 1941. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he was awarded for bravery the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
on 26 November 1941. As a Colonel in February 1942, he became commander of an officers' school, until June 1943. Promoted to Major General (Generalmajor) in December 1943, and Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) in May 1944, he held various commands before being appointed Commander of the 91st Luftlande Infanterie-Division in April 1944.
Lieutenant General Wilhelm Falley was the first German general to fall in action during the Normandy landings. On D-Day, General Wilhelm Falley was returning from Rennes, where a war game had been organized by the High Command, to his Division headquarters, in Picauville
, near Sainte-Mere-Eglise
. Ambushed, his car, riddled with bullets, crashed against a wall. Wilhelm Falley was shot by Malcolm D. Brannen, a 1st Lieutenant of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne.
Wilhelm Falley was buried in the German military cemetery at Orglandes
.
Note: The German Army of World War II had no rank of Brigadier General
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
to be killed during the Normandy Landings in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was commander of the 91st Infantry Division. Falley was killed by a paratrooper of the US 82nd Airborne Division, near Sainte-Mère-Église
Sainte-Mère-Église
Sainte-Mère-Église is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Founded in the eleventh Century, the earliest records include the name Sancte Marie Ecclesia, Latin for "Church of St. Mary", while a later document written in Norman-French mentions Saincte...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
Biography
Wilhelm Falley was born in MetzMetz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
(at that time a part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
), on September 25, 1897. Falley joined the Imperial German Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
straight from school. Enlisted in the 93rd Infantry Regiment, he fought during the First World War as a junior officer. After the war, he continued his career in the army, gradually climbing the ranks. In 1936, Falley became an instructor at the military school in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
Falley was Company Commander twice during the 1930s in the 5th Infantry Regiment, first the 5th Company and later the 18th Company. Following two battalion commands, 3-238th Infantry and 2-433rd Infantry, Falley was appointed commander of the 4th Infantry Regiment on April 21, 1941. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he was awarded for bravery the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 26 November 1941. As a Colonel in February 1942, he became commander of an officers' school, until June 1943. Promoted to Major General (Generalmajor) in December 1943, and Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) in May 1944, he held various commands before being appointed Commander of the 91st Luftlande Infanterie-Division in April 1944.
Lieutenant General Wilhelm Falley was the first German general to fall in action during the Normandy landings. On D-Day, General Wilhelm Falley was returning from Rennes, where a war game had been organized by the High Command, to his Division headquarters, in Picauville
Picauville
Picauville is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-Heraldry:-World War II:After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in early June 1944, engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground to the...
, near Sainte-Mere-Eglise
Sainte-Mère-Église
Sainte-Mère-Église is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Founded in the eleventh Century, the earliest records include the name Sancte Marie Ecclesia, Latin for "Church of St. Mary", while a later document written in Norman-French mentions Saincte...
. Ambushed, his car, riddled with bullets, crashed against a wall. Wilhelm Falley was shot by Malcolm D. Brannen, a 1st Lieutenant of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne.
Wilhelm Falley was buried in the German military cemetery at Orglandes
Orglandes
Orglandes is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Manche department...
.
Awards
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 November 1941 as OberstleutnantOberstleutnantOberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
and commander of 4th Infantry Regiment - German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (20 January 1944) - Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
First and Second Class with Clasps - Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
in Black (12 November 1943) - Cross of HonorCross of HonorThe Cross of Honor, also known as the Honor Cross or, popularly, the Hindenburg Cross, was a commemorative medal inaugurated on July 13, 1934 by Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg for those soldiers of Imperial Germany who fought in World War I...
- Demyansk ShieldDemyansk ShieldDemyansk Shield is a German military award instituted on April 25, 1943 to commemorate troops who fought in the Demyansk pocket. Requirements for Heer and auxiliary units included honorable service in the besieged area for 60 days or wound or frost-bite in the besieged area, for Luftwaffe — 50...
- Eastern Front MedalEastern Front MedalThe Eastern Front Medal, , more commonly known as the Ostmedaille was instituted on May 26, 1942 to mark service on the German Eastern Front during the period November 15, 1941 to April 15, 1942...
- Sudetenland MedalSudetenland MedalThe The Sudetenland Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:...
with clasp Prague Castle - Anschluss MedalAnschluss MedalThe Anschluss Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:Instituted on May 1, 1938, the medal commemorated the return of Austria to the German Reich...
- Infantry Assault BadgeInfantry Assault BadgeThe Infantry Assault Badge was a German war badge awarded to Waffen SS and Wehrmacht Heer soldiers during WWII. This decoration was instituted on December 20th 1939 by the Oberstbefehlshaber des Heeres, Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch...
in Silver (26 August 1941)
Staff positions
- Commander of 5th Company, 5th Infantry Regiment (01 Jul 1933-01 Oct 1934)
- Commander of 18th Company, 5th Infantry Regiment (15 Oct 1935-06 Oct 1936)
- Commander of 3d Battalion, 238th Infantry Regiment (26 Aug 1939-13 Jan 1940)
- Commander of 3d Battalion, 433rd Infantry Regiment (13 Jan 1940-21 Apr 1941)
- Commander of 4th Infantry Regiment (21 Apr 1941-19 Jun 1942)
- Commandant of School V for Infantry Fahnenjunker, Döberitz then Posen (01 Aug 1942-10 Jun 1943)
- Temporary-Commander of 36th Infantry Division (12 Sep 1943-01 Oct 1943)
- Commander of 330th Infantry Division (01 Oct 1943-05 Oct 1943)
- Temporary-Commander of 246th Infantry Division (05 Oct 1943-01 Dec 1943)
- Commander of 246th Infantry-Division (01 Dec 1943-20 Apr 1944)
- Commander of 91st Infantry-Air-Landing-Division (25 Apr 1944-06 Jun 1944)
Dates of Ranks
- Leutnant (Reserve) (Second Lieutenant of Reserves) (07 Aug 1915);
- Leutnant (Second Lieutenant, Regular Army) (26 Jan 1919);
- OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
(First Lieutenant) (31 Jul 1925); - HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
(Captain) (01 Mar 1932); - MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(Major) (01 Apr 1936); - Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) (01 Aug 1939);
- OberstOberstOberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
(Colonel) (01 Feb 1942); - Generalmajor (Major General) (01 Dec 1943) *;
- Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) (1 May 1944) *
Note: The German Army of World War II had no rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
.