Georg le Coutre

Georg le Coutre
Born	(1921-09-13)13 September 1921 Memel
Died	8 January 2009(2009-01-08) (aged 87) Bonn
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1940–45 1956–78
Rank	Leutnant (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
Unit	Fallschirmjägerregiment 4 Fallschirmjägerregiment 6
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Crete Italian Campaign Operation Overlord Battle of the Bulge
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Georg le Coutre (13 September 1921 – 8 January 2009) was a highly decorated Leutnant in the Fallschirmjäger during World War II and an Oberstleutnant in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was captured by American troops in February 1945, and held until 1946. In 1956 he joined the Bundeswehr and served until his retirement in 1978.

Awards and decorations

• Fallschirmschützenabzeichen (12 December 1940)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (4 May 1941)
  • 1st Class (26 June 1941)
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black (17 April 1944)
  • in Silver (28 May 1944)
  • in Gold (5 November 1944)
• German Cross in Gold on 14 June 1944 as Feldwebel in the 4./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 4
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 7 February 1945 as Leutnant and leader of 10./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6
• Cuffband "Crete" (20 May 1943)

References

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
• Kurowski, Franz (1995). Knights of the Wehrmacht Knight's Cross Holders of the Fallschirmjäger. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military. ISBN 978-0-88740-749-9.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
• Scherzer, Veit (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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
• Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1986). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil II: Fallschirmjäger (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1461-8. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945