Do you know about the soldiers of Infanterieregiment 65? We are standing before a memorial. It honors Rgt 65 and 290. InfDiv. This Denkmal Rgt 65 & 290. InfDiv stands as a solemn reminder of their service.
Infanterieregiment 65 belonged to the 22nd Division “Bremen”. The division headquarters was in Bremen. The IR 16 was stationed in Oldenburg. IR 47 was in Lüneburg. The Artillerieregiment 22 was in Verden.
On October 15, 1935, the I. Bataillon and the 13. Kompanie moved from Bremen to Delmenhorst. They were the first units to enter the Caspari-Kaserne. Oberst von Sodenstern was the regimental commander.
In 1936, the II. Bataillon and the 14. Kompanie occupied the Caspari-Kaserne. Oberst Friemel took over the regiment in 1937. Mobilization began on August 16, 1939. The regiment moved to the Westwall in the Prüm section in 1939.
In 1940, they moved to Münster in Westphalia. There, they prepared for the airborne landing in Holland. The airborne landing in Holland occurred from May 10-15, 1940. Of the 523 soldiers of the II. Bataillon who were deployed in the airborne landing, only 262 returned. Afterward, the regiment returned to Delmenhorst. Oberst Haccius took over the regiment on May 20, 1940. In June, the regiment marched into France.
From 1940 to 1941, they were stationed in Belgium. They occupied the area around Antwerp. In 1941, they moved via Magdeburg to Romania. On May 30, 1941, they marched into Russia. They advanced to the Crimea and Sevastopol. In 1942, they moved to Greece and were airlifted to Crete. In 1943, they were deployed on the Dodecanese Islands. These islands were Kos, Kalynos, Leros, and Samos.
In 1944, Crete was evacuated. The regiment was deployed in the areas of Athens, Saloniki, and Rüsköfe in Yugoslavia. Fighting occurred in Croatia in 1945. On May 10, 1945, the regiment marched into captivity near Belgrade. Some remained prisoners until 1951.
Three members of Regiment IR 65 received the Knight’s Cross. Major Rudolf Zürn was awarded on June 16, 1940. He died on October 15, 1941, in Bucharest, Romania. Oberleutnant Hans Lingner was awarded on June 24, 1940. He died on August 28, 1941. Major Sylvester von Saldern was awarded on November 21, 1943.
Sylvester von Saldern joined the Bundeswehr in 1958. He retired as Colonel and senior garrison officer of Bremen in 1963. He always attended the federal meetings. He died on August 25, 1967.
The first federal meeting of the former “65ers” took place in 1953. It was held in their former home location in Delmenhorst. Nineteen more meetings were held until 2007. The last meeting took place in 2007. Approximately 200 comrades are still in the address directory as of 2014. Further meetings are not planned. On Volkstrauertag, comrades who live nearby still meet. They gather at the memorial in the Feldwebel-Lilienthal-Kaserne.
The 290th Infantry Division was formed on February 6, 1940. It surrendered to Soviet forces at the end of the war. This Denkmal Rgt 65 & 290. InfDiv serves as a place of remembrance. It honors those who served in these divisions. It prompts reflection on the costs of conflict.