Allegiance Nazi Germany Battles/wars World War II Battles and wars World War II Rank Hauptsturmfuhrer | Years of service 1936–44 Name Wilhelm Beck Service/branch Waffen-SS | |
Born 22 December 1919
Bitz, Germany ( 1919-12-22 ) Buried at La Cambe German war cemetery Unit 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend Commands held Battery, Sturmgeschutz Battalion 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
2nd Company, 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
2nd Company, 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" Died June 10, 1944, Caen, France Place of burial La Cambe German war cemetery, La Cambe, France | ||
Wilhelm Beck (22 December 1919 – 10 June 1944) was a Hauptsturmfuhrer (Captain) in the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. He was born on the 22 December 1919 at Bitz in Wurttemberg Germany. He enlisted in the SS and rose to the rank of Hauptsturmfuhrer being awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
In 1940 Oberscharfuhrer (Technical Sergeant) Beck served with Michael Wittmann in the LSSAH Sturmgeschutz Battery and by the time of Operation Barbarossa he had been promoted to Unterstrumfuhrer (Second Lieutenant) and given command of a platoon in the Sturmgeschutz (self-propelled artillery/StuG) battery. During the advance to the Black Sea at the port city of Kerson Beck engaged a Russian Gunboat and a Submarine In 1942 the LSSAH Sturmgeschutz (StuG) unit was brought up to battalion strength and Beck was given command of one of the Batteries, the Battalion commander being Max Wunsche.
Beck was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions in the Third Battle of Kharkov, by this time he had been transferred to the II/Battalion of the SS Panzer Regiment 1 LSSAH, Beck and his unit destroyed more than 100 Soviet artillery pieces and over 10 T-34 tanks in 3 weeks of fighting. In 1943 Beck was promoted to Hauptsturmfurher and assigned to 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, as 2nd Company Commander, he was replaced by SS Ostuf Gaede when the Division was moved to France in 1944 and Beck was appointed as the Liaison officer between the LSSAH and 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, he was killed in a carpet bombing attack by Allied forces near Caen on the 10 June 1944.
Wilhelm Beck is buried at the German Cemetery at La Cambe near Caen, France.