Oskar Wolkerstorfer

Oskar Wolkerstorfer (2 November 1919 – 11 January 1971) was an Austrian soldier who served in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He held the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer and was one of the most-decorated soldiers of the war. Among his decorations are the German Cross, four Tank Destruction Badges, and a golden Wound Badge.

Early life
Oskar Wolkerstorfer was born in Linz, Upper Austria. Following his secondary education, he studied to become a bookseller. Young Wolkerstorfer supported the reunification of Austria with the German Reich and was a member of the youth organisation Hitler-Jugend (Hitler Youth), although such membership was illegal in Austria at that time. On 1 January 1937, seventeen-year-old Wolkerstorfer joined the Allgemeine SS (General SS) with the I./37. SS-Standarte, and on 30 June of that year he was assigned to the 1./SS-Bataillon "N". Following the Anschluss in April 1939, Wolkerstorfer was sent for officer training to the Junkerschule Braunschweig and in 1940 was sent to the Unterführerschule of the SS-Totenkopfverbände in Breslau. On 20 April 1940 he became a commissioned SS officer, rank - SS-Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant).

Das Reich
On 5 July 1940 Wolkerstorfer was transferred to 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, and on 8 February 1941 he transferred to the 1. Kompanie under Vinzenz Kaiser. With the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, Wolkerstorfer participated in all major battles of the Das Reich division during Operation Barbarossa. His 1. Kompanie fought with Army Group Center, taking part in the Battle of Yelnya near Smolensk, and then in Operation Typhoon, attempting to capture Moscow. During these operations Wolkerstorfer was awarded both the iron cross II and I class. In late 1941 he took command of the 15./ Kradschützenkompanie of Der Führer (motorcycle reconnaissance) regiment. On 23 September 1941 Wolkerstorfer single-handedly destroyed his first Soviet tank. This was followed by two more tanks on 1 December 1941 during combat operations near Moscow. For this accomplishment Wolkerstorfer was awarded three Tank Destruction Badges on 20 February 1942. On the same day he also received the Wound Badge in Silver for a wound received on 24 November 1941, when he was shot in the stomach while removing explosives from a bridge near Istra. Early in 1943 Das Reich was transferred back to the Eastern Front, where it helped reclaim the crumbling central front around Kharkov. Wolkerstorfer distinguished himself as an outstanding leader while protecting the flank of the advancing Das Reich Division during the Third Battle of Kharkov in February/March 1943. For his bravery during these engagements he was awarded the German Cross in Gold by SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Kumm. A month later Wolkerstorfer also received his fourth Tank Destruction Badge.

V. SS-Gebirgs-Korps
On 1 October 1944 Wolkerstorfer and Otto Kumm were transferred to the Balkans to the newly formed V.SS-Gebirgs-Korps. He remained with this SS-formation for the rest of World War II, commanding the 1./SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 105 (reconnaissance unit) and later the SS-Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 505. On 19 March 1945 he was nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, but he never received the award. His final World War II decoration was the Wound Badge in Gold, which he received on 13 February 1945 after being wounded for the sixth time.

Post-World War II
Oskar Wolkerstorfer survived the war and died in Linz, Austria on 11 January 1971.

Dates of rank

 * SS-Mann - 1 January 1937
 * SS-Standartenoberjunker
 * SS-Untersturmführer - 20 April 1940
 * SS-Obersturmführer - 1 December 1941
 * SS-Hauptsturmführer - 9 November 1943

Notable decorations

 * Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze (1942)
 * Wound Badge in Black (1941)
 * Wound Badge in Silver (1942)
 * Wound Badge in Gold (1945)
 * German Cross in Gold on 9 April 1943 as SS-Obersturmführer in the 15./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Der Führer"
 * Iron Cross 2nd Class (1941)
 * Iron Cross 1st Class (1941)
 * 3 x Tank Destruction Badge in Silver (1942)
 * 1 x Tank Destruction Badge in Silver (1943)
 * Panzer Badge in Silver (1942)
 * Close Combat Clasp in Silver (1944)
 * Sudetenland Medal (1939)
 * Anschluss Medal (1939)
 * SS-Honour Ring (1942)
 * Eastern Front Medal (1942)
 * Croatian Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir, 3rd Class with Swords (1944)