__NOTOC__ Gerd-Paul Valerian Georg Heinrich von Below (30 November 1892 – 8 December 1953) was a general in the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

during World War II. He was a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...

. Below surrendered to the Soviet troops in May 1945 and died in captivity in 1953.

Awards and decorations

on 28 February 1943 as ''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...

'' of the Reserves and commander of the augmented Grenadier-Regiment 374Scherzer 2007, p. 213. Gerd von Below

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Below, Gerd-Paul Von 1892 births 1953 deaths People from Vorpommern-Greifswald Military personnel from the Province of Brandenburg Gerd-Paul Major generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht) German Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross German prisoners of war in World War II held by the Soviet Union German people who died in Soviet detention Military personnel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania German Army generals of World War II