Herbert Boensch

Herbert Boensch was born on 10 November 1908 at Schatzlar/Trautenau, Sudetenland, and died in Prague on 8 May 1945. He joined the Czechoslovak army in 1928, serving in its 11th light artillery. He was transferred to the Wehrmacht in 1938 and there took part in the 1939 and 1940 campaigns and the actions against the Soviet Union. On 1 March 1942 he was promoted to major. A January 1942 report called him “a modest and upright personality, open and aware of his duty. He strives to train himself and free himself of known faults. So he managed to overcome an occasional weakness and adopt a tighter military style. He was a good gunner with tactical sense. He continues to meet the fullest requirements against the enemy. Placed in the brigade reserves, he took temporary charge several times of an artillery unit and in doing so showed himself impeccably capable.”

Boensch arrived in late summer 1944 in the revived Feldherrenhalle artillery division. After the siege of Budapest he put in command. In a Breakout group with Wilhelm Schöning and Helmut Wolff, he received serious wounds in the front line near Szomor. In later interviews he called the Breakout an irresponsible and unscrupulous act. After Germany’s capitulation he was killed off by Czech insurgents.

‍