Soldbuch - General Gerhard von Schwerin Oak Leaves and Swords Recipient

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General der Panzertruppe Gerhard von Schwerin Soldbuch. Recipient of the Oak Leaves and Sword of the Knight's Cross. Soldbuch No.1 issued to Oberstleunant with promotions 1 August 41 to Oberst, 1 October 1942 Generalmajor, 1 June 1943 to Generalleutnant, and 1 April 1945 to general der Panzertruppen. last military district: Wehrbezirkskommando Berlin, assignments, inscription of the dog tag: 1. ObI. 07. 1.R. Gr. Deutschl, Nr.1, equipment, pay, vaccinations, military hospital stays, awards to include Komturkreuz der Krone von Italien, Eastmedal 22 June 1942, Oakleaves 17 May 1943, 4 November 1943 Eichenlaub mit Schwerter zum Ritterkreuz des Eisrenen Kreuz, Spange zum EK II Spange zum EK1, Panzerkampfabzeichen, 17 January 1942 Knights Cross, 19 January 1942 (unreadable, but most likely German-Italian Africa Medal), Cuff Title Afrika 17 December 1943. Vacations, Rome, Berlin, Hamburg, Italy (Rome) Special passport authorizing Generalleutnant Graf von Schwerin with 3 attendants of Kdr. 116 Pz. Div. travels (travel with car) on 21 September to Rottach- Trinis at the Tegernsee. Reason: transferred to leader reserve OKH, vacation until recall. Return travel: not valid. Military Driver's Licence issued 6 February 1932, test on 7 December 1931 passed. Newspaper cutout “Der Kampf “ (The Fight) about the award of the Oakleaves to Generalmajor Graf von Schwerin. Dated Mai 1943.

Gerhard von Schwerin (23 June 1899 – 29 October 1980) was born to a Prussian aristocratic family. At the age of 15 he entered the military cadet school at Koslin. Joining the Prussian Army's 2nd Foot Guards Regiment as a Fahnrich (commissioned officer cadet), he subsequently transferred to the 2nd (1st Pomeranian) Grenadier Regiment.Schwerin saw action with the infantry on both the Eastern and Western fronts in 1918, serving as a company commander and battalion adjutant. He was wounded in action on 26 September 1918, and hospitalized until the war's end in November 1918. In 1918 he was awarded the Iron Cross for gallantry in action, both 2nd Class and 1st Class. Schwerin was discharged from the army in 1920. In 1922 he rejoined the Reichswehr being commissioned with the rank of lieutenant into the Prussian Army's Infantry Regiment No.1. In 1931 he joined Infantry Regiment No.18 in Paderborn. He was promoted to captain in May 1933. From 1933 to 1935 he attended the General Staff course at the Prussian Military Academy in Berlin. In April 1939 Schwerin was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. War was declared a few months later and in September 1939, Schwerin assumed duties as a frontline German military officer. An extensive campaign career which took him from fighting in the Low Countries and France to North Africa, Russia to Germany and Italy. At the outbreak, he received command of the 1st Battalion Motorized Infantry Regiment of the Grossdeutschland Division, He also commanded up to 1941 the Rifle Regiment No.86, and the Grossdeutschland Regiment. Whilst with the Afrika Korps on 7 April 1941, commanding the Special Purposes Regiment No. 200, Schwerin led a long-range joint German and Italian commando force deep into the British Empire's lines in Libya to capture the Mechili oasis, heralding the Afrika Korps' entry into operations in North Africa under the leadership of Erwin Rommel, which resulted in almost 3000 British Imperial prisoners of war being rounded-up, 3 generals in their number. In August 1941 he was promoted to colonel and in the same month commander of Infantry Regiment 76 (mot), the 20th Infantry Division (Motorized) in the charge Eastwards into the Soviet Union, for which he received the Knight's Cross in January 17th 1942. From April to May 1942 he briefly commanded the 254th Infantry Brigade, before being appointed to the command of the 8th Jaeger Division in mid-1942 on the Eastern Front. In October 1942 he was promoted to the rank of major-general. From November 1942 he commanded the 16th Panzer Grenadier Division on the Eastern Front (being promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general in June 1943), being involved in the fighting around Stalingrad, and subsequently being awarded the Oak Leaves and also the Swords of the Iron Cross (personally presented by Adolf Hitler at a ceremony in the Berghof. The 16th Panzer Grenadier Division was transferred to France in March 1944, the unit being militarily upgraded to become the 116th Panzer Division. In December 1944, he was then ordered to the Italian front to take over the command of the LXXVI. Panzerkorps. At the beginning of April 1945 he was promoted to the rank of General of Panzer Troops. On 26 April 1945 he was taken prisoner of war on the Italian front by the British Army. He was released from post-war Allied military custody in late 1947. Of great historic significance.