Georg Gaertner
Georg Gärtner | |
|---|---|
Dennis Whiles at the age of 88 (Independence Day 2009) | |
| Birth name | Georg Gärtner |
| Other name(s) | Dennis F. Whiles |
| Born | December 18, 1920 Schweidnitz, Lower Silesia, German Republic (now Świdnica, Poland) |
| Died | January 30, 2013 (aged 92) |
| Branch | Wehrmacht |
| Years of service | 1940–1943 |
| Unit | Afrika Korps |
Georg Gärtner (German pronunciation: [ˈɡeːɔʁk ˈɡɛʁtnɐ]; December 18, 1920 – January 30, 2013) was a German World War II soldier who was captured by British troops and later held as a prisoner of war by the United States. He escaped from a prisoner of war camp, took on a new identity as Dennis F. Whiles, and was never recaptured. He revealed his true identity after staying some 40 years in the United States.