Hellmuth Becker - Early Life

Early Life

Becker was born on 12 August 1902 in Neuruppin, Brandenburg.

In August 1920, he joined the Army and was assigned to the 5th Infantry Regiment at Angermunde. In 1928, he was promoted to Stabsfeldwebel (warrant officer) in the 2nd Artillery Regiment at Szczecin. At the end of his service in 1933, he joined the SS and met Wilhelm Bittrich and Hermann Prieß. According to his personnel file, he joined his service on 1 January 1934 and on 17 June 1934 was appointed adjutant of the 74th SS-Standarte. In 1935, Becker was transferred to the SS Totenkopf association "Bavaria" as the commander of the recruit training company, and was responsible for the unit's transport. In 1937, Becker was promoted to Sturmbannführer (Storm Unit Leader/major) and in 1938 to Obersturmbannführer (Senior Storm Unit Leader/lieutenant colonel). Becker's unit was involved in the Anschluss of Austria and the occupation of the Sudetenland.

Read more about this topic:  Hellmuth Becker

Famous quotes containing the words early and/or life:

    When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed
    And the great star early drooped in the western sky in the night,
    I mourned, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
    Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring,
    Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,
    And thought of him I love.
    Walt Whitman (1819–1892)

    “Mother” is the first word that occurs to politicians and columnists and popes when they raise the question, “Why isn’t life turning out the way we want it?”
    Mary Kay Blakely (20th century)