101:
119:
90:
314:
repelled the attack of a battalion-sized Soviet unit and later destroyed a Soviet military column near
Zapolje. For gallantry during these actions, in May 1944 Gaitars became the first Latvian to be awarded the German Cross in Gold.
31:
280:(home guard) he set up checkpoints on roads and arrested Soviet activists and politicians. Gaitars became Commandant of the Penkule parish. In May 1942 he enlisted in the 19th Latgale
420:
405:
326:
and was forced to leave the frontline until
January 1945. On March 22 1945 he was once more seriously wounded and died of his wounds in a field hospital in
400:
395:
254:
415:
296:
410:
370:
Daugavas Vanagu Centrālās Pārvaldes
Izdevums - Latviešu kaŗavīrs Otra pasaules kaŗa laikā, Toronto: 1993, 11.sējums, 81. lpp
318:
His company remained fighting throughout the summer and autumn of 1944 during the German withdrawal from Russia into
281:
311:
180:
390:
385:
273:
242:
300:
289:
189:
358:
276:
started in June 1941, Gaitars organised armed units in
Penkule. Together with ex-members of the
206:
140:
262:
118:
334:. Rūdolfs Gaitars was buried in a small rural cemetery near the homestead of ‘’Dārziņi’’.
323:
285:
258:
234:
57:
53:
379:
222:
214:
184:
160:
105:
100:
73:
194:
304:
265:
Gaitars was on the deportee list, but hid in a forest. His family was sent to
238:
175:
170:
210:
122:
284:
and was deployed on the
Eastern front. He participated in fighting at the
277:
218:
30:
299:
and deployed to the
Volchov front. Gaitars was promoted to the rank of
266:
253:
He was dismissed from his school post in
September 1940, following the
77:
295:
In April 1943 the remnants of the 19th
Battalion were included in the
331:
319:
94:
89:
327:
150:
257:. He then served in the Latvian army and reached the rank of
361:- Latviešu leģions patiesības gaismā, Rīga: 2006, 146. lpp
322:. Gaitars was seriously wounded during fighting in the
307:
2nd Class, followed by the 1st Class award in
October.
151:
19th Waffen
Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)
166:
156:
146:
136:
128:
111:
83:
63:
40:
21:
349:Jaunais Komunārs Nr. 25, 1940. g. 13. sept, 4. lpp
292:, where the battalion suffered heavy casualties.
205:(29 May 1907 – 22 March 1945) was a Waffen-
8:
421:Latvian Waffen-SS personnel killed in action
18:
261:. During the Soviet mass deportations on
342:
7:
406:Recipients of the Gold German Cross
303:and in August 1943 was awarded the
245:in a local Penkule primary school.
233:Gaitars was born on 29 May 1907 in
14:
401:People from Courland Governorate
117:
99:
88:
29:
396:People from Dobele Municipality
241:. Before the war he worked as
1:
255:Soviet occupation of Latvia
437:
310:In February 1944 Gaitars'
28:
416:Latvian Auxiliary Police
249:In the Second World War
35:Rūdolfs Gaitars in 1945
192:(in bronze and silver)
181:Infantry Assault Badge
297:2nd Waffen SS brigade
129:Years of service
274:Operation Barbarossa
243:school administrator
290:Pulkovo observatory
217:. He was the first
411:SS-Obersturmführer
221:to be awarded the
190:Close Combat Clasp
16:Latvian SS officer
200:
199:
428:
371:
368:
362:
356:
350:
347:
301:Untersturmführer
282:Police battalion
121:
113:
104:
103:
93:
92:
70:
50:
48:
33:
19:
436:
435:
431:
430:
429:
427:
426:
425:
376:
375:
374:
369:
365:
359:Visvaldis Lācis
357:
353:
348:
344:
340:
324:Courland Pocket
286:Leningrad front
259:warrant officer
251:
231:
207:Obersturmführer
203:Rūdolfs Gaitars
193:
188:
183:
179:
174:
141:Obersturmführer
98:
97:
87:
72:
68:
52:
46:
44:
36:
24:
23:Rūdolfs Gaitars
17:
12:
11:
5:
434:
432:
424:
423:
418:
413:
408:
403:
398:
393:
388:
378:
377:
373:
372:
363:
351:
341:
339:
336:
250:
247:
235:Penkule Parish
230:
227:
198:
197:
168:
164:
163:
158:
154:
153:
148:
144:
143:
138:
134:
133:
130:
126:
125:
115:
109:
108:
85:
81:
80:
71:(aged 37)
65:
61:
60:
58:Russian Empire
54:Penkule Parish
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
433:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
409:
407:
404:
402:
399:
397:
394:
392:
389:
387:
384:
383:
381:
367:
364:
360:
355:
352:
346:
343:
337:
335:
333:
329:
325:
321:
316:
313:
308:
306:
302:
298:
293:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
270:
268:
264:
260:
256:
248:
246:
244:
240:
236:
228:
226:
224:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
196:
191:
186:
182:
177:
172:
169:
165:
162:
159:
155:
152:
149:
145:
142:
139:
135:
131:
127:
124:
120:
116:
110:
107:
102:
96:
91:
86:
82:
79:
75:
67:22 March 1945
66:
62:
59:
55:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
366:
354:
345:
317:
309:
294:
271:
263:14 June 1941
252:
232:
229:Pre-War Life
223:German Cross
215:World War II
202:
201:
185:German Cross
161:World War II
157:Battles/wars
106:Nazi Germany
74:Zante Parish
69:(1945-03-22)
391:1945 deaths
386:1907 births
288:, near the
195:Wound Badge
51:29 May 1907
380:Categories
338:References
305:Iron Cross
239:Semigallia
176:Iron Cross
171:Iron Cross
84:Allegiance
47:1907-05-29
225:in Gold.
211:Waffen SS
187:(in Gold)
132:1942–1945
123:Waffen SS
278:Aizsargi
178:II Class
112:Service/
312:company
267:Siberia
219:Latvian
213:during
209:in the
173:I Class
78:Ostland
332:Tukums
320:Latvia
272:After
167:Awards
114:branch
95:Latvia
330:near
328:Zante
147:Unit
137:Rank
64:Died
41:Born
382::
269:.
237:,
76:,
56:,
49:)
45:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
