Walther Kittel (1887–1971) was a German general of medical services 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 ...

.Helmut Berthold: ''Die Lilien und den Wein: Gottfried Benns Frankreich'', Würzburg : Königshausen & Neumann, 1999, p.105.

Biography

Walther Kittel was born in

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

, Alsace-Lorraine, on 20 March 1887. Kittel joined the German Army straight from school at eighteen years old in order to become a military doctor. As Oberarzt, Kittel began a brilliant career in the

University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...

. From 1914 to 1918, during the First World War, Kittel served as ''Stabsarzt''. He stayed in the army after the war, as a medical officer. Walther Kittel was promoted to the rank of ''Generaloberarzt'' in April 1931,''Rangliste des Deutschen Reichsheeres''. dir.: Reichswehrministerium. Mittler & Sohn Verlag. Berlin 1932. p. 10 and ''Oberstarzt'' in January 1934. He continued his career as ''Generalarzt'' in January 1937, and eventually ''Generalstabsarzt'' on 1 October 1940. Affected first in the 1st Army, he was posted then in the 12th Army on 22 December 1940, then in the 6th Army on 19 June 1942. As Chief Medical Officer in the Army Group Don, Kittel received the

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...

in silver on 24 February 1943. Chief Medical Officer in the Army Group South from March 1943 to April 1944, he was then assigned to the Army Group Ukraine, then to the Army Group A from September 1944 to January 1945 and eventually to the Army Group Centre, from January to May 1945. Prisoner of war on 8 May 1945, Walter Kittel remained in captivity until 1947. Member of the Scientific Council for Health Affairs of the

German Ministry of Defence The Federal Ministry of Defence (german: Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ), abbreviated BMVg, is a top-level Federal agency (Germany), federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The mini ...

from 1963 to 1967, Walter Kittel died on 11 November 1971, in

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

Awards and decorations

in Silver (24 February 1943), as Surgeon General and Army Group South doctor in the quartermaster department of task force Don *

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

1914 (2nd and 1st classes) * Knight's Cross of

Order of Franz Joseph The Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph (german: Kaiserlich-Österreichischer Franz-Joseph-Orden) was founded by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 2 December 1849, on the first anniversary of his accession to the imperial throne. Classes ...

with war decoration (Austro-Hungary) * Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords (4 June 1944) as Surgeon General and Army Group South doctor in the quartermaster department of task force Don

Notes

Sources

* Helmut Berthold: ''Die Lilien und den Wein: Gottfried Benns Frankreich'', Würzburg : Königshausen & Neumann, 1999. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kittel, Walther 1880s births 1951 deaths Physicians from Metz People from Alsace-Lorraine German military doctors Major generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht) Reichswehr personnel Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Recipients of the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross Knights of the Order of Franz Joseph Military personnel from Metz