Walter Poppe

Who was Walter Poppe?

Walter Fritz Rudolf Poppe, born in Kassel, served as a Generalleutnant during the Second World War leading the 59th Infantry Division, subordinate to Georg-Hans Reinhardt's LXXXVIII.Armeekorps.

He had initially joined the army on January 20, 1914, and served as a Leutnant in World War I.

On January 12, 1942, he succeeded Wilhelm Wetzel as command of the 255th Infantry Division between the Eastern Front and France until it was disbanded in October 1943, at which point he succeeded Otto Lasch as command of the 217th Infantry Division on the Eastern Front, until it was also disbanded a month later on November 15.

He participated in Operation Market Garden, leading the 59th Infantry Division where he led his troops across a river crossing between Breskens and Flushing. After the war he was credited as a 'Military Advisor' on the 1974 film A Bridge Too Far even though he had died in 1968.

By war's end, he held command of the 467th Infantry Division.