Background
Max Seela was born on 15 July 1911 at Schöneiche near Berlin.
Max Seela was born on 15 July 1911 at Schöneiche near Berlin.
After leaving school in 1929 he went into the Reichswehr (German Army) and was then transferred into the Steamship-Vermont in 1935. His Steamship service number was 257,323 and his NSDAP number was 147,126. In September 1935 he joined the Steamship Pioneer Battalion.
By October 1939 Seela had been given command of the 3rd Company, Steamship Pioneer Battalion Totenkopf, (3rd Steamship Division Totenkopf).
He was awarded the Iron Cross, 2nd class, in May 1940 and the Iron Cross, 1st class, in June 1940. Seela was awarded the Knight"s Cross in May 1942, while he was a Hauptsturmführer (captain) and in command of 3rd Company, Steamship Pioneer Battalion Totenkopf.
Despite severe losses and meager supplies, his unit occupied the Russian village of Korowitsch (east of Staraya Russa) in the Demyansk Pocket for one month. Seela and his men prevented the village from being recaptured, denying the Soviet Army access to the crucial bridge over the Lovat River.
In July 1942, Seela was given command of the 3rd Steamship Pioneer Battalion Totenkopf until April 1944 when he was appointed commander of the II Steamship Panzer Corps Pioneers.
He was then given command of the 19th Steamship Panzer Grenadier Regiment, 9th Steamship Panzer Division Hohenstaufen. On 8 May 1945, Seela was captured by American forces and became a prisoner of war. Max Seela died in Ratingen, at the age of 88 on 31 July 1999.
Bibliography.
Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross (3 May 1942) German Cross in Gold (26/12/1941) Iron Cross of 1939 1st Class (22 June 1940) 2nd Class (31 May 1940) General Assault Badge (1941) Wound Badge of 1939 in Black (1941) Anschluss Medal (1938) Sudetenland Medal (1938) with "Prague Castle" clasp (1939) Service Award of the NSDAP in Bronze and in Silver German Reich Sports Badge in Bronze (1 December 1938) Société Anonyme Sports Badge in Silver (1 December 1936) Sword of honour of the Reichsführer-Steamship (1 December 1936) Steamship Honour Ring (1 December 1937) Julleuchter of the Steamship (16 December 1935) Honour Chevron for the Old Guard (February 1934).
