Bernd von Brauchitsch (30 September 1911 – 19 December 1974) was a German aristocratic ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

'' colonel during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and adjutant to ''

Reichsmarschall (german: Reichsmarschall des Großdeutschen Reiches; ) was a rank and the highest military office in the ''Wehrmacht'' specially created for Hermann Göring during World War II. It was senior to the rank of , which was previously the highes ...

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

. Born in 1911, as the son of Field Marshal

Walther von Brauchitsch Walther Heinrich Alfred Hermann von Brauchitsch (4 October 1881 – 18 October 1948) was a German field marshal and the Commander-in-Chief (''Oberbefehlshaber'') of the German Army during World War II. Born into an aristocratic military family, ...

, he embarked on a military career. He took part in the invasion of France and the Low Countries, as the commander of a bombing unit. In April 1945, he was arrested together with Göring by the SS on charges of cowardice and betrayal. After the war, he first served as a witness to major war crimes at the

Nuremberg trials The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany invaded m ...

, and spent the rest of his life in German steel business, working as managing director of two large Krupp-steel companies.

Biography

Early life

Brauchitsch was born in 1911 as the eldest son of the future Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Field Marshal

, and his first wife Elisabeth von Karstedt, a rich heiress in

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

Military career

In 1931, Brauchitsch joined the pilot training at the ''

Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule The Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (DVS), German Air Transport School, was a covert military-training organization operating as a flying school in Germany. It began during the Weimar Republic in Staaken, Berlin in 1925 and its head office was tra ...

'' (German Air Transport School) at Schleißheim. He and 29 other trainees attended what was called ''Kameradschaft'' 31 (camaraderie of 1931), abbreviated "K 31". Among the members of "K 31" were future ''Luftwaffe'' staff officers

Günther Lützow Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe aviator and fighter ace credited with 110 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions. Apart from five victories during the Spanish Civil War, most of his cl ...

Wolfgang Falck Wolfgang Falck (19 August 1910 – 13 March 2007) was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot and wing commander and one of the key organisers of the German night fighter defences. As a fighter ace, he claimed eight enemy aircraft shot down in 90 c ...

Günther Radusch Günther Radusch (11 November 1912 – 29 July 1988) was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot and wing commander. As a fighter ace, he claimed 65 enemy aircraft shot down in over 140 combat missions. He claimed one victory in the Spanish Civil Wa ...

and

Hannes Trautloft Johannes "Hannes" Trautloft (3 March 1912 – 11 January 1995) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, and general in the postwar German Air Force. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 58 enemy airc ...

. In 1932, he joined a cavalry regiment of the army, and in 1934 was promoted to lieutenant. In the same year, he transferred to the air force. He first served as a pilot at the Test Center in

Rechlin Rechlin is a municipality in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, around 100 km (60 mi) northwest of Berlin. The town's airport has a long history and was the Luftwaffe's main testing ground for new aircraft designs in Nazi Germany. ...

, and from 1935, as a technical officer in a ''Stukastaffel''. In 1936, he was promoted to first lieutenant and was transferred to a ''Stukagruppe'', in

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the state ...

. In December that year he was promoted to squadron commander of a ''Stukastaffel''. In 1939, he attended the air war academy in Gatow. Also, he served as an aide to the Supreme Commander of the air force, Hermann Göring. Later that year, he was promoted to captain.

World War II

In the Second World War, from May to August 1940, Brauchitsch was employed as group commander of a dive bomber unit during the lightning campaign against France and the Low Countries. In 1941, he worked with the General Staff, and by the end of 1941, he was appointed chief adjutant to Göring. In 1942, he was promoted to major, in 1943, to lieutenant colonel, and in 1944, to colonel. Also in 1944, he was awarded the Pilot and Observer Badge, by Göring, in gold and diamonds. He was arrested in late April 1945 by the SS, together with Göring, at Berchtesgaden. The SS had orders to shoot Göring, but for some reason decided not to. In May 1945, Brauchitsch, in accordance with Göring's orders, approached the 36th U.S. Division of the 7th American Army, as a negotiator. As a representative of Göring, he informed the Americans that Göring believed the war was over, and he was ready to surrender. Brauchitsch was then held in captivity, from which he was released in 1948 (the same year his father died). In March 1946, he was interrogated at the Nuremberg Trials as a witness to major war crimes as well as his own personal experience of Göring and top Nazi chieftains."Sitting at Nuremberg, Germany 12 March to 22 March, 1946"
''Nizkor''. Retrieved 2014-18-06.

Later life

In the postwar period, Brauchitsch worked as a manager of the German GmbH construction and assembly company, and since 1956, as a member of the board, set up by the Krupp steel barons and brothers, Berthold and Harald. In 1961, he became managing director of the sister company WASAG. He was also Chairman of the National Association of

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

Employers Organizations, the employers' association for the chemical industry and plastics processing in Schleswig-Holstein. In addition, he served on the board of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations. Brauchitsch died in December 1974.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brauchitsch, Bernd von 1911 births 1974 deaths German World War II pilots Place of birth missing