Last Living Knight's Cross Holders 2023

Thousands of German servicemen were awarded the Knight's Cross during WWII, the highest award for gallantry and meritorious service. Today, only two are still alive. Find out their stories here...

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Credits: The National Archives; Library of Congress; Bruce Marvin; New York Times; Ironcross; Giel's Militaria; MoserB; LoveIron; Main-Post (Nico Adler).

[atomic_wait]

The fact that Germany has a similar number of surviving veterans compared to the USA despite having half the total population at the time just shows what a large portion of their male population was mobilized, especially considering their proportionately greater losses.

[SergeyTaboritsky]

My still living Grandfather has fought in Stalingrad came to a Soviet POW camp and was one of the 9.000 who came back from one those camps. He is now 99 and in February 2024 is he's 100 Birthday.

[ToddSauve]

The brother of a friend of mine, whose name was Walter Brauer, won the Knight's Cross in the latter half of 1944. He commanded a two gun anti-tank crew in Poland that destroyed 12 Soviet tanks and a number of trucks in a single running battle that lasted all afternoon and into the evening. He told Gunter, his younger brother and my friend, "Don't volunteer for _anything!"_ that fall of 1944 when he was still 17 and not old enough to be in the army. Gunter kept a photo of Walter in full dress uniform on his night table beside his bed until the day he died in June 2019.

[Thorr-kljl]

I met Luftwaffe ace and General, Adolf Galland, in 1991. This was at the "Reach for the Skies" event, in San Jose, CA, sponsored by "Virginia Bader Fine Arts". Of course, General Galland autographed my copy of his book, "The First and the Last". Also present at the event was the RAF ace J.E. Johnson, who autographed my copy of his book, "Wing Leader". Virginia Bader, herself, was a cousin of the RAF ace Douglas Bader.
At another event, in 1998, I met Kriegsmarine ace Erich Topp. Of course, Admiral Topp autographed my copy of his book "The Odyssey of a U-Boat Commander".

[scipio]

My father served on the Don with the Hungarian 2nd as a Lieutenant. The army, as well as the Romanian and Italian contingents, was annihilated by a massive Soviet counteroffensive. What was left was slowly pulled back and eventually returned to Hungary. He was among the 28, 000 Hungarian and German troops who, at the end of the Siege of Budapest, attempted to break out of the pocket. He was one of 700 to make it to Austria. The remaining 27k+ were killed or sent east. I believe Felton did a piece on that? As an aside, you sir make incredible videos. Thank-you.

[maxasaurus]

Mind boggling that ANY person who fought is still alive. Thanx Dr. Felton, top notch as usual!

[emknight]

Incredible that they are still around.

[andrewtodd]

Hans Rudel a stuka pilot was the recipient of the gold version of the cross with oakleaves and diamonds. He flew a tank buster stuka and he continued to fly even after having a leg amputated. Love the history here, thank you sir.

[ray]

A Luftwaffe fighter ace who would later have the opportunity to fly a Spitfire just for the enjoyment. Now that’s just too cool. 😊👍

[ThomasDrehfal]

In the early 80's, in a small-town pub in Thiensville, WI, there used to be a Luftwaffe pilot who had settled here after the war. He would always share that they could rarely get into the air without the Mustangs shooting at them as they were trying to take off. He was quite a guy to listen to.

[LieutenantJason]

Met both of these men in the 90’s while I was stationed in Germany when I was a young SAC Security Officer assigned to the protection detail for the Commander of USAFE, nothing but respect for both.

[derimperator]

I mailed Hugo Broch and got his signature, probably one of my most important ones in my (still small) collection!

[benitoharrycollmann]

Thank you for such a subtle reminder that the past is not yet dead and buried, but that history is still very much alive. No one renders this service as well as yourself, Dr. Felton

[illbeback]

Thank you for preserving German history...

[geheimratk]

Three years ago, I had the pleasure to hear the story of an old veteran of WW2, his service as a 17 year old soldier of the Wehrmacht at the eastern front and his story. He was lucky to go west and ended up in an english or american POW camp. Because he was so young, he could go with a pastor, who served in the Wehrmacht too. Most young POWs could go home, if they had technical skills. The pastor said to him: "If you want to leave the camp and to come with me in my village, I'll tell them, that you are a young craftsman, that we need in our village."
So he did, because he didn't know anything about his family in the east and lived about 75 years in this villagge. He passed by two years ago.

[jroch]

Great biographies. Thank you, Dr. Felton.

[conorlane]

Might be worth doing a video on John Hemingway, the last living fighter pilot from the Battle of Britain. 104 years old!

[edjopago]

Doctor Felton, your research is impeccable. Thank you!

[MTG]

I was in Sydney Australia a few weeks ago and I saw a peculiar thing. A man dressed in what I believed to be a modern day Germany Army Uniform. I then saw him about 30 minutes later. I went up and asked him if that was a German Army uniform and if his rank was that of a Colonel? To my surprise he replied 'yes' and that no one had ever got his rank correct in Australia until me. I have to thank Mark Felton for this, as I watched a video of his sometime back about German Military Ranks... The Colonel was there for the (International Dentistry Convention).

[austinguest]

I am fortunate enough to say that I met Broch when he flew in Spitfire MJ627 at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar as described in the video. We asked him now he’d flown the Spitfire, how it compares with German fighters he’d flown? He said he felt the DB engine was better than the Merlin and he didn’t like the spade grip and preferred the German pistol grip! An ex ordinary fighter pilot who was very humble and a very nice man!