EK 2 Citation + paper KIA Fallschirmjager- Leesten – Zutphen – Holland 1945

EK 2 citation to Leutnant Hans Keebe.

He was awarded the EK 2 on 21 April 1942 for bravery shown on the battlefield while serving under the VIII Flieger Korps wich was active on the Easternfront at that time.

The document has been signed by (the later) General der Fallschirmtruppe Alfred Schlemm. (Knightscross 11-6-1944)

3 years later Hans Keebe was serving as an Leutnant within a Fallschirmjager unit and fighting defensive battles in the Netherlands east of the town Zutphen around Leesten. They were facing the Stormont Dundas en Glengarry Highlanders also named the Glens.

The attack at Leesten

Just after midnight the Glens arrived in Vierakker where the headquarters were located in the Huize Vierakker farm.
When the Glens leave for Leesten on April 4, 1945, it is just getting light and they have not slept for 2 days. C company left near the Hekkelder farm and then turned left onto the Blekdijk, which turns into the Looërenk near the Dennendijk.

map taken from the website: ww2memorial.nl

The 3 platoons that advanced towards the Kerkhofweg encountered heavy resistance. In the open terrain they were bombarded on both sides of the Looërenk by machine gun fire and snipers. They were fanatical members of the Fallschirmjäger Ersatz und Ausbildungs ​​Regiment, often young boys of barely 15-16 years old who fought to the bitter end. Here the Glens lost 3 men, including Aimée Periard, for whom a cross was placed years later at the place where he died.

B company was dropped off at the corner of Leestenseweg and Hekkelerdijk. Accompanied by tanks from the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, they headed towards “Betty”, which was the code name for Leesten. But soon they came under fire from the farms on the Holtmaatweg. “Casualties” were reported but it is not clear whether these were deaths or injuries. A little further on at the Have farm, fierce fighting also broke out in which 3 Glens were killed. Ultimately, the resistance in Leesten was broken, partly thanks to the deployment of English Churchil tanks equipped with flamethrowers, the so-called “crocodiles”. A total of 11 Glens were killed that day.
However, the losses on the German side were many times greater. In the position northwest of the Have farm alone, 35 dead German soldiers were found.

Map and info taken from the very informative website ww2memorial.com

Link: https://ww2memorial.nl/the-stormont-dundas-and-glengarry-highlanders-r201.html

On the paper states he died on 3 April 1945 between 17:00 and 18:00.

According to the website of the Volksbund and Findagrave he died on the 5th of April.

Used condition.

The map and picture of Alfred Schlemm are for reference only and do not come with the item.

Code: B23265