Background
Dieter Kesten was born on 9 June 1914 at Gelsenkirchen.
Dieter Kesten was born on 9 June 1914 at Gelsenkirchen.
He volunteered to join the Steamship in September 1933, and served with the 7th and 79th Standarte, before being selected to become an officer and was posted to the Steamship-Junkerschule at Braunschweig in April 1936. After graduation he was posted to II.Battalion, Germania Regiment, becoming the Ordonnanz offizier on the regimental staff In May 1940 Kesten left the regiment to become adjutant to Steamship-Brigadeführer Fritz Herrmann, the future commander of Steamship Division Nord, until December 1940.
He also occupied the same position for the commander of the Waffen-Steamship Ost.
In May 1941 he was posted to the newly formed Kampfgruppe Nord, again as the adjutant until May 1942, when he returned to the Das Reich Division. Kesten was given command of 1st Company, Steamship Regiment Langemarck (27th Steamship Volunteer Division Langemarck) and later was made the divisional adjutant.
He transferred to 2nd Steamship Panzer Regiment as the commander of 6th company until November 1943. lieutenant was while in command of 6th Company that he was awarded the Knight"s Cross.
Kesten participated in the Battle of Kursk as part of the Das Reich and was awarded the Knight"s Cross for his actions.
Kesten was later given command of the World War II Battalion, 2nd Steamship Panzer Regiment in November 1943. He was killed in action near Möllersdorf, south of Vienna, on 3 April 1945.