The 3. Kavallerie-Brigade was raised in March 1944 from Kavallerie-Regiment Mitte. It fought on the central sector of the Eastern Front until the end of 1944 when it was sent to Hungary. It was upgraded to 3. Kavallerie-Division in February 1945.

After the commander Oberstleutnant Georg Freiherr von Boeselager was KIA on 27 August 1944 it was requested to give the Brigade the honorary title “Kavallerie-Brigade von Boeselager”, this was rejected.

Commanders

Oberst Hans Freiherr von Wolff (? Mar 1943 - 28 June 1943)
Oberst Georg Freiherr von Boeselager (28 June 1943 - 27 Aug 1944) (KIA)
Oberst Arthur Baron von Holtey (? Oct 1944 - ? 1944)
Oberst Peter von der Goeben (? Dec 1944 - ? Feb 1945)

Holders of high awards

See 3. Kavallerie–Division

Order of battle

Reiter-Regiment 31
Reiter-Regiment 32
Artillerie-Regiment 869
Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 69
Schwere Kavallerie-Abteilung 3
- 1.(Pz.)Kp (1)
Kosaken-Abteilung 69
Nachrichten-Abteilung 238
Feldersatz-Battailon 69
Versorgungs-Truppen 69

Notable members

Georg Freiherr von Boeselager (Active in the resistance against Hitler and was killed in action before his part in the July 20 Plot was revealed, the Bundeswehr barracks Freiherr-von-Boeselager-Kaserne in Munster was named in his honour 1984)
Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager (Active in the resistance against Hitler and the last surviving member of the July 20 Plot, he died in 2008)

Insignia

Schwedter Adler (Dragoon Eagle) – Originally worn by the 1. Brandenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr.2.

Photo © Jacques

Cavalry Officer's Visor Cap for Kavallerie-Regiment 6

(Courtesy of N & T Global Trading)

Footnotes

1. (Beute-)Panzer-Kompanie 221 with order from 18.01.1944 was subordinated to HGr Mitte ; order from 15.02.1944 : assigned as 1.(Pz.) / schwere Kavallerie-Abteilung 3 ; since 01.08.1944 : transferred to schwere Kav.Abt 4 / 4. Kav.Brigade

Sources used

Dr Jeffrey T. Fowler - Axis Cavalry in World War II
Richard Mundhenk - Schwedter Adler: A German cavalry commemorative (in The Military Advisor, Vol 7 No 2)
Adolf Schlicht & John R Angolia - Die Deutsche Wehrmacht: Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945, Band 1 Das Heer
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

Max Georg Bose - Die Chronik der Strumgeschützbrigade 177: Später Panzerjäger–Abteilung 69 In der dritten Kavallerie-Brigade
Hans Joachim Witte & Peter Offermann - Die Boeselagerschen Reiter