Background
Eckhard Christian was born in Charlottenburg (Berlin).
Eckhard Christian was born in Charlottenburg (Berlin).
In 1928 and 1929, he attended officer candidate courses.
Eckhard was captured by British troops on 8 May 1945 and held in custody until 7 May 1947. He first joined the Reichsmarine (German Navy) in 1926. Thereafter, he continued in the navy and obtained the rank of Leutnant zur See (second lieutenant) on 1 October 1930.
In 1934, Eckhard transferred to the Luftwaffe (German Air force) glider school in Warnemünde.
He was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann (captain) on 1 April 1935. He was transferred to the Air Ministry in July 1938 and onto the General Staff.
On 1 June 1940, he was promoted to major and from 15 January 1941 was attached to Chief of the Armed Forces Command Staff at Adolf Hitler"s Führer Headquarters. Eckhard was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) on 15 March 1942. lieutenant was there at Hitler"s Headquarters that Eckhard met Gerda "Dara" Daranowski, who was working as one of Adolf Hitler"s private secretaries.
Her work was taken over by Traudl Junge.
Eckhard was promoted to Oberst (colonel) on 1 March 1943. Thereafter, Eckhard was appointed Iowa of the Luftwaffe Command Staff at Hitler"s request. In mid-1943, Gerda Christian returned to Hitler"s staff as one of his private secretaries.
After the death of Generaloberst Hans Jeschonnek, Eckhard was again promoted to Generalmajor and made Chef des Luftwaffe-Führungsstabes (Chief of the Luftwaffe Command Staff) at Hitler"s request on 1 September 1944.
In April 1945, Eckhard was stationed in Berlin at the Führerbunker Headquarters. He left the bunker complex on 22 April 1945 to become chief of the liaison staff of the Luftwaffe to OKW Command Staff North. On 8 May 1945, Eckhard was captured in Mürwik by British troops and held in custody until 7 May 1947.
In fact, Gerda divorced Eckhard in 1946 because he did not remain with her in the Führerbunker until after the death of Hitler. Eckhard died on 3 January 1985 in Bad Kreuznach.
Bibliography
Hamilton, Charles (1984).
Leaders & Personalities of the Third Reich, Volume 1. R. James Bender Publishing.
Joachimsthaler, Anton (1999).
The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, the Evidence, the Truth.
transactions Helmut Bögler. London: Brockhampton Press.
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Patzwall, Klaus Doctorate. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German).
Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus Doctorate. Patzwall.