| Desiderius Hampel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 January 1895 Sisak, Croatia |
| Died | 11 January 1981 Graz, Austria |
| Allegiance | World War I Austro Hungarian Empire World War II Hungary Croatia Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Waffen SS |
| Years of service | 1914–1918 Hungarian Army 1937–1941 Hungarian Army 1941–1942 Croatian Army 1942–1945 Waffen SS |
| Rank | World War I Oberleutnant World War II Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of Waffen-SS |
| Unit | 16th Hungarian Infantry Regiment 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian) |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | World War I Iron Cross II class Wound Badge in Black Military Merit Cross (Austria–Hungary) with War Decoration and Swords Military Merit Medal (Austria–Hungary) in Silver Honorary Medal for bravery (Austria) World War II Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross I Class Iron Cross II Class Wound Badge in Silver War Merit Cross with Swords |
Desiderius Hampel was a Brigadeführer and Generalmajor in the Waffen SS during World War II. Who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.
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Desiderius Hampel was born 20 January 1895 in the town of Sisak, Croatia. His father was an inspector on the Austrian Railway, which forced the family to often move around Europe living in Austria, Hungary and Croatia. This had the added benefit of teaching the young Hampel a number of languages. After he completed his primary school education, he was sent to a military school in Karlovac.[1][2][3] After graduation he went in to the Army in October 1914, as a warrant officer in the 16th Hungarian Infantry Regiment Freiherr von Giesl and in December was sent to the front line.[1][3]
In April 1915, he was given command of a platoon and shortly after promoted to Leutnant and given command of the 14th Company. At the end of the year he was sent on a training course in the Heavy Machine Gun at Bruck an der Leitha. When he returned to the front in November he was given command of the 4th Company of his regiment and was promoted to Oberleutnant in May 1917.[1][3] In September 1918, he was appointed as the second in command of the 36th Battalion fighting in Serbia until the end of the war when he became a prisoner of war in Serbia. He escaped from captivity just over a year later and made his way to Vienna and then Budapest.[1][3]
After he returned from captivity he started work on a farm and studied forestry between 1925 and 1928 at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He then worked in the forestry industry until December 1937 when he rejoined the Hungarian Army and served in Budapest.[1]
Hampel served in Budapest until March 1941, and was then sent to the town of Csepel, in command of the area defences until December 1941 when he was dismissed from the army. He then joined the Croatian Army as a Major as the intelligence officer for the IV Army Corps until May 1942, when after a request for Obergruppenführer Artur Phleps he joins the Waffen SS as a Sturmbannführer.[1][3] He was given command of the III.Battalion, 1st SS Gebirgsjager Regiment until June 1943 when he was moved to command the Training and Reserve Battalion, 7th SS Gebirgs Division Prinz Eugen. He was then given a position on the staff of the newly formed 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian). In November he is promoted to Obersturmbannführer and given command of the 27th SS Gebirgsjager Regiment.[1][2][3]
In April 1944, he was promoted to Standartenführer and soon after given command of the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian) and in January 1945 promoted to Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of Waffen-SS. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his command of the Division near the end of the war in May 1945.[Notes 1] The same month he surrendered the division in Austria to the advancing British troops.[1][2][3]
Desiderius Hampel survived the war and died on the 11 January 1981 in Graz, Austria.[1][2]