| Heinz Wittchow von Brese-Winiary
was born on 13 January 1914 in Dresden. He came to GD after a successful
career in several units in the first half of the Second World War, for which he was highly
decorated. Heinz von Brese entered military service in April 1934, joining Infantry Regiment 10 in his hometown of Dresden, and in May 1936 was commissioned as a Leutnant. He served in the 7th and 8th companies, and later as the battalion signals officer. In May 1939, promotion to Oberleutnant came, as well as the position of battalion adjutant. The Iron Cross Second Class was presented to him on 24 October 1939. Service in France garnered the junior officer the Iron First Class, awarded on 24 June 1940, as well as qualifying him for the Infantry Assault Badge which was awarded in October 1940. Service in the winter campaign of 1941-42 qualified von Brese for the Ostmedaille (Eastern Front Medal), and wounds in action qualified him for the Wounds Badge in Black. |
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| In December 1942,
the German Cross in Gold was presented to von Brese, and in March 1942 he was promoted to
Hauptmann and given command of Number 6 Company, still remaining with Infantry Regiment
10. He went on to command the 2nd Company of Panzer Grenadier Regiment 108 and later
the 2nd Company of Panzer Grenadier Regiment 103, and commanded a battlegroup (Kampfgruppe
von Brese) between 14 December 1942 and 22 February 1943 in the Stalingrad region. Further wounds qualified him for the Silver, then Gold, grade of the Wounds Badge, and by the end of April 1943 von Brese was a Major. In May 1943, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, for actions taken during the withdrawal from the Don to the Miuss River. He went on to command Panzer Grenadier Regiment 108 and earned the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross during the fighting at Tscherkassy Pocket. The award of the Close Combat Clasp followed on 23 March 1944, and promotion to Oberstleutnant on 1 April 1944. On 1 September 1944, von Brese was promoted to Oberst, and he took command of the Panzerfüsilier Regiment "Grossdeutschland" two days later. He remained in command of the regiment until his personal surrender on 18 February 1945. While being held prisoner, his captors shortened his full official name, "von Brese-Winiary" to "von Brese" which caused difficulties for family and friends in Germany trying to contact him by using his full name. His full name was actually, according to an article at the Elite Forces of the Third Reich website and information supplied by Dick Pumphrey, an "awarded honour." According to the article, von Brese's great-great-grandfather had been an inspector of German fortifications. He constructed a new type of fortress installation near Posen in 1856, located on the Winiary Hill. A title of nobility was granted for this, and the elder von Brese was thenceforth known as von Brese-Winiary. Oberst Heinz Wittchow von Brese-Winiary survived his captivity, and passed away in 1991. |
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