"Five hundred yards from the bunker, in the candlelit train carriage in Stadtmitte U-Bahn station, a curious ceremony was taking place. The train was Krukenberg's command post, and the occasion was the last presentation of one of the Reich's highest military awards, the Knight's Cross.

The proud recipient was not German but French: Waffen-Unterscharf. Eugene Vaulot of the Charlemagne Battalion. Vaulot, known as 'the Panzerfaust virtuoso', was the Charlemagne Battalion's star performer. This twenty-year-old former plumber's mate had won his first Iron Cross in Russia. Now, single-handed, he had destroyed eight tanks in the course of two days' fighting, to earn a higher decoration. By the light of candles, and in the presence of his staff and some of Vaulot's comrades, Krukenberg made a speech in French.

He said that the bearing of this young volunteer was what the SS had come to expect of French soldiers; men who had won their spurs on battlefields throughout the world. He then hung the cross on its' black, white, and red ribbon, around the young man's neck and gave the Hitler salute. Everyone followed suit. A few minutes later the latest holder of the Knight's Cross left the station to go back to his company, and to his death."

(Read & Fisher "The Fall of Berlin" 1993).

During the battle of Berlin, Vaulot's feats became legendary. After destroying two enemy tanks in the Neukoelln sector, Eugene had jested to his comrades that he had done so "just to get in shape" for the battles yet to come! (You've got to admire his modesty). Then in the fierce battle for the city centre, Uscha. Vaulot personally blasted into oblivion 6 Soviet tanks that had been advancing unimpeded on the Reichschancellery and the Bunker.

This deed brought him the nomination for the Knight's Cross by SS-Kampfsgruppe 'Mohnke' which was personally bestowed upon him on the 29 Apr 1945 by Brigfhr. Krukenberg.

The heroic French SS volunteer was killed in action by a Red Army sniper on 2 May 1945. To those that soldiered with him he will always be remembered as a 'magnificient comrade' and fine representative of the Parisian working class.


VAULOT, Eugène ("Gégène") (RK)
(1923 - 1945)
Waffen-Unterscharführer der SS:
Born: 1. Jun. 1923 in Paris.
Killed in Action: 2. May 1945 in Berlin.
Promotions:
Waffen-Unterscharführer der SS:
Obergefreiter:
Career:
Member of Inf.Rgt. 638 of 7.Inf.Div.: 1941 - 1943. Gruppenführer (squad leader) in 33.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division "Charlemagne" (französische Nr. 1): (29. Apr. 1945) - 2. May 1945
Decorations & Awards:
Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes: 29. Apr. 1945 as Gruppenführer (squad leader) in 33.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS "Charlemagne" (französische Nr. 1), Kampfraum Groß Berlin (presented by SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Wilhelm Mohnke in the Führerbunker of the Reichskanzlei)
1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Schwarz
Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42"


You do not associate the KC with a Frenchman. I don't have his papers for the award of the KC but, I do have his 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse. Here it is...

Eugene Vaulot - There aren't many pics of Eugene around but if anyone should have any I'd appreciate them being posted here.

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