Wilhelm Falley

Wilhelm Falley (1897–1944) was the first German general to be killed during the Normandy Landings in France. He was commander of the 91st Infantry Division. Falley was killed by a paratrooper of the US 82nd Airborne Division, near Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy.

Biography
Wilhelm Falley was born in Metz, Alsace-Lorraine (at that time a part of the German Empire), on September 25, 1897. Falley joined the Imperial German Army straight from school. Enlisted in the 93rd Infantry Regiment, he fought during the First World War as a junior officer. After the war, he continued his career in the army, gradually climbing the ranks. In 1936, Falley became an instructor at the military school in Munich.

Falley was Company Commander twice during the 1930s in the 5th Infantry Regiment, first the 5th Company and later the 18th Company. Following two battalion commands, 3-238th Infantry and 2-433rd Infantry, Falley was appointed commander of the 4th Infantry Regiment on April 21, 1941. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he was awarded for bravery the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 November 1941. As a Colonel in February 1942, he became commander of an officers' school, until June 1943. Promoted to Major General (Generalmajor) in December 1943, and Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) in May 1944, he held various commands before being appointed Commander of the 91st Luftlande Infanterie-Division in April 1944.

Lieutenant General Wilhelm Falley was the first German general to fall in action during the Normandy landings. On D-Day, General Wilhelm Falley was returning from Rennes, where a war game had been organized by the High Command, to his Division headquarters, in Picauville, near Sainte-Mere-Eglise. Ambushed, his car, riddled with bullets, crashed against a wall. Wilhelm Falley was shot by Malcolm D. Brannen, a 1st Lieutenant of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne.

Wilhelm Falley was buried in the German military cemetery at Orglandes.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1914)
 * 2nd Class
 * 1st Class
 * Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg
 * Cross of Honor
 * Wehrmacht Long Service Award, 4th to 1st class
 * Anschluss Medal
 * Sudetenland Medal with Prague Castle Bar
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (26 July 1940)
 * 1st Class (23 June 1941)
 * Eastern Front Medal
 * Demyansk Shield
 * Wound Badge (1939)
 * in Black (12 November 1943)
 * Infantry Assault Badge in Silver (26 August 1941)
 * German Cross in Gold (20 January 1944)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 November 1941 as Oberstleutnant and commander of 4th Infantry Regiment

Staff positions

 * Commander of 5th Company, 5th Infantry Regiment (01 Jul 1933-01 Oct 1934)
 * Commander of 18th Company, 5th Infantry Regiment (15 Oct 1935-06 Oct 1936)
 * Commander of 3d Battalion, 238th Infantry Regiment (26 Aug 1939-13 Jan 1940)
 * Commander of 3d Battalion, 433rd Infantry Regiment (13 Jan 1940-21 Apr 1941)
 * Commander of 4th Infantry Regiment (21 Apr 1941-19 Jun 1942)
 * Commandant of School V for Infantry Fahnenjunker, Döberitz then Posen (01 Aug 1942-10 Jun 1943)
 * Temporary-Commander of 36th Infantry Division (12 Sep 1943-01 Oct 1943)
 * Commander of 330th Infantry Division (01 Oct 1943-05 Oct 1943)
 * Temporary-Commander of 246th Infantry Division (05 Oct 1943-01 Dec 1943)
 * Commander of 246th Infantry-Division (01 Dec 1943-20 Apr 1944)
 * Commander of 91st Infantry-Air-Landing-Division (25 Apr 1944-06 Jun 1944)

Dates of Ranks

 * Leutnant (Reserve) (Second Lieutenant of Reserves) (07 Aug 1915);
 * Leutnant (Second Lieutenant, Regular Army) (26 Jan 1919);
 * Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) (31 Jul 1925);
 * Hauptmann (Captain) (01 Mar 1932);
 * Major (Major) (01 Apr 1936);
 * Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) (01 Aug 1939);
 * Oberst (Colonel) (01 Feb 1942);
 * Generalmajor (Major General) (01 Dec 1943) *;
 * Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General) (1 May 1944) *

Note: The German Army of World War II had no rank of Brigadier General.