Josef Holte was an Oberscharführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II. Josef Holte was born on the 28 March 1912, in Gelsenkirchen. During World War II he volunteered for the SS-VT He took part in Operation Barbarossa the invasion of the Soviet Union where he was awarded his first combat decoration the Iron Cross 2nd class in July 1941 and the Iron Cross 1st class in November 1941.