Kurt Pflugbeil

Kurt Leopold Pflugbeil (9 May 1890 – 31 May 1955) was a highly decorated General der Flieger in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Pflugbeil saw notable action on the Eastern Front, where he managed VI Fliegerkorps during the Second Battle of Kharkov, Battle of Stalingrad and Siege of Sevastopol. Kurt Pflugbeil was captured by Soviet troops in the Courland Pocket in 1945. In 1950 he was sentenced to 25 years hard labour, but was released early in 1954 due to ill health.

Awards and decorations

 * Iron Cross (1914)
 * 2nd Class (14 September 1914)
 * 1st Class (7 October 1916)
 * Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords (17 April 1918)
 * Knight's Cross of the Military Order of St. Henry (27 July 1915)
 * Cross of Honor
 * Sudetenland Medal
 * Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (7 October 1939)
 * 1st Class (15 June 1940)
 * Eastern Front Medal
 * Order of Michael the Brave
 * 3rd Class (19 September 1941)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 5 October 1941 as Generalleutnant and commander of IV. Fliegerkorps
 * 562nd Oak Leaves on 27 August 1944 as General der Flieger and commander of Luftflotte 1
 * Mentioned 4 times in the Wehrmachtbericht (31 October 1941, 30 May 1942, 11 April 1944 and 1 January 1945)
 * Ärmelband Kurland