Sunday, May 3, 2020

Bio of SS-Obersturmbannführer Wilhelm Kment

SS-Obersturmbannführer Wilhelm Kment was born on 8th March 1915. He joined the SS and graduated from SS Junkerschule "Bad Tölz" in 1935 to become Commander of the Kradschutzen Company (Later 1. Kom.p SS-Kradschützen-Bataillon) of SS-Division "Reich", serving with them through the battles of Holland and France in 1940, and Yugoslavia and the invasion of Russia into October 1941. He then became commander of SS-Aufklärungsabteilung (reconnaissance troop) of "Reich" until January 1942 during which time on 23rd January 1942 he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. Somewhere around that time Kment had been seriously wounded in action - Possibly in the counter attack against Russian forces which had broken through around Rzhev, close to Gshatsk on the Eastern Front, where Das Reich were at that time engaged. The fighting was bitter and on 21st January the motorcycle Battalion alone lost 4 officers and over 70 other ranks killed in action with many others wounded, possibly Kment had been one of those. This wound had been so serious it resulted in the loss of an arm. Therefore after convalescing Kment had been assigned to Himmler's Personal Staff (Personliche Stab Reichsführer-SS) as Decorations Officer responsible for processing awards of the German Cross and Knight's Cross for Waffen-SS members. This explains why he appears on Boska’s Knights Cross recommendation and other SS ones. Finally between 1944 and 1945 Kment was assigned to 17. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" although at a disastrous period for GvB Kment had still survived the war, passing away on 15th November 1984.



Sources :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=109365
https://reibert.info/threads/fotografii-voennosluzhaschix-ss-s-germanskim-krestom-v-zolote-i-serebre.340172/page-2

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