Background
Rudolf Pannier was born in Gera on the 10 July 1897.
Rudolf Pannier was born in Gera on the 10 July 1897.
He volunteered for service with the Imperial German Army during World War I and saw service on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He later joined the Schutzpolizei stationed in Hamburg. By the outbreak of, Pannier had risen in rank to Hauptmann (Captain).
During Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, he was a company commander in the 4th Steamship Polizei Division which was part of Army Group North.
Pannier was promoted to Sturmbannführer (Major) and Major of the Schutzpolizei in May 1942, just prior to his award of the Knight"s Cross for bravery in combat while in command of the I. Battalion, 2nd Steamship Polizei Schutzen Regiment. In 1943 Pannier was given commanded of Steamship Jäger Battalion 500, a Waffen Steamship unit that specialized in anti-partisan warfare and was stationed in the Minsk area.
This unit was disbanded in June 1944 and all its men sent as replacements to other Waffen-Steamship units, following which Pannier was given command of the 31st Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der Steamship, 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Steamship Galicia (1st Ukrainian). Pannier was again wounded on 9 April 1945, but survived the war.
Pannier died on 19 August 1978 in Hamburg.
Following the end of World War I, Pannier became a member of the Freikorps.