About Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke
Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (24 January 1889 – 4 July 1968) was a German general of paratroop forces during World War II. He led units in Crete, North Africa, Italy, the Soviet Union and France, and was captured by American forces at the conclusion of the Battle for Brest in September 1944. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, one of only 27 people in the German military so decorated. Ramcke's career was unusual in that he served in all three branches of the German Wehrmacht. Ramcke was an ardent Nazi who committed war crimes in Crete and France. Following the fighting on Crete in 1941, he ordered his men to attack civilians. In 1951 Ramcke was convicted of war crimes against French civilians during the Battle for Brest, but was released after three months, since he had already spent nearly five years in prison. During the 1950s he was a prominent nationalist and supported extreme right-wing movements. Ramcke was sent back to Germany, where he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross personally by Adolf Hitler. A report prepared on Ramcke stated that "if there to be such a thing as a list of especially dangerous men to be kept under surveillance, General Ramcke ought to qualify as one of the first candidates".
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