SMGL-2847 4 year Service Award signed by Major General Walter Vierow

Signed as a lieutenant colonel of Pioneer Battalion 20, promoted to Major General, did 20 years for war crimes.

“Walter Vierow was the son of the businessman Albert Vierow and his wife Frieda. In 1911 he joined the Hanoverian Pioneer Battalion No. 10 as a flag junior, where he was promoted to lieutenant on March 23, 1914. During the First World War he was employed as a platoon leader from the end of 1915 as an adjutant and from July 1917 as a company commander. On May 20, 1917, he was promoted to first lieutenant. In July 1918 he was wounded. From December 1918 to January 1920 he was a company commander in the Baltic States and was transferred to the Reichswehr Pioneer Battalion 6 on May 1, 1920. On September 8, 1921, he married Carmen Geberg. From October 1, 1923 to March 31, 1928 Walter Vierow was assigned to the Technical University of Hanover (budget positions at the time with Infantry Regiment 16, Cavalry Regiment 14 and Artillery Regiment 5),where he got his degree in engineering. Promoted to captain on February 1, 1925, after completing his studies, he became company commander in Pioneer Battalion 3. On April 1, 1930, he was transferred to the Reichswehr Ministry and on April 1, 1934, he was promoted to major. On October 1, 1934 he was then commander of the Pioneer Battalion 20 and on August 1, 1936, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. On April 1, 1938 he was commander of the fortress pioneer staff 23 and on March 1, 1939 promoted to colonel. From June 1, 1940 Vierow was commander of the pioneers at the XIII. Army Corps and was on February 22, 1941 commander of the Pioneer Regiment 685. On May 26, 1941 he was commander of senior construction staff 19 and on October 1, 1942 he was promoted to major general. Transferred to the Führerreserve on January 10, 1943,This was followed by the briefing as field commander and on February 20, 1943, the appointment as commander of the field command center 243 in Pologi. In April 1943 Walter Vierow was assigned to the 213rd Security Division in the Kiev area to supervise the fortification work there. On August 13, 1943 he was appointed commandant of Kiev and from December 16, 1943 he was entrusted with the maintenance of the business of the commanders of the field commandant’s office 599 in Belgrade. On January 28, 1944, he became the commander of Feld-Kommandantur 599. On August 31, 1944, he was transferred to East Prussia to supervise the fortification work there. On March 1, 1945 he became the commandant of fortress section VIII Prague. At the end of the war he was taken prisoner by the Americans. Extradited to Yugoslavia on August 1, 1946,he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for war crimes and was not released until March 23, 1953”

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