Crasemann fought as an artillery officer during World War I on both the Western and Eastern Fronts but left the military in 1919, returning to civilian life.

Born in the city of Hamburg on 5 March 1891, Eduard Crasemann joined the Imperial German Army in 1910 as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet).

[3] Involved in fighting engagements in Poland and Ukraine, his regiment was soon back in France where it participated in battles in the areas around Champagne and Aisne.

He applied to continue to serve with the newly formed Reichswehr (Imperial Defence) but was declined and subsequently left the military in April 1919.

Promoted to Oberstleutnant in August 1940, he was on occupation duty in France when Rommel, having taken command of the Afrika Korps in February 1941, arranged his transfer to North Africa.

[4] Crasemann's new command was part of 15th Panzer Division and with it, he participated in the significant engagements in North Africa, including Operation Crusader and the battles around Tobruk.

[9] The Afrika Korps was now in retreat from Egypt and it had withdrawn to Tripolitania when, on 17 January 1943, Crasemann was dispatched back to Germany and placed in reserve.

[10] In April 1944, Crasemann went to Germany for a period of leave and then, instead of returning to Russia, he went on a one-month divisional commanders' course at the War Academy at Hirschberg.

[10] Engaged in the fighting on the Gothic Line with the Eighth Army, the 26th Panzer Division fought a series of delaying actions, retreating to just south of Bologna at which time it was withdrawn for a rest.

Stationed on the Western Front along the Ruhr River it opposed the United States Ninth Army, which commenced an offensive on 23 February.

XII SS Army Corps was destroyed and Crasemann surrendered to United States troops on 17 April.

[14] Imprisoned in Special Camp 11 along with several other high ranking German personnel, in 1947 Crasemann faced a war crimes tribunal run by British authorities in Padua.

This was in relation to a charge of complicity with the massacre of 162 Italian civilians in Padule di Fucecchio near Florence on 23 August 1944, during his time in command of 26th Panzer Division.