Wilhelm Ehm
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Ehm a World War II Wehrmacht veteran and East German Admiral who was Deputy Minister of National Defense of the German Democratic Republic
and head of the People's Navy (Volksmarine
).
who served as an armorer
and a bugler in the Austro-Hungarian Navy
(KuK Kriegsmarine) during World War I. Ehm was born during his father's military service at Pula
, a major Austro-Hungarian Navy port on the Adriatic near Trieste
. He had a brother Hermann, born in 1913 and a younger sister Maria, born in 1921.
After the war ended in 1918, his family went back to Komotau (now Chomutov
), the hometown of his father in Bohemia
, which is now part of the Czech Republic
. There his father served as a municipal employee. After the death of his mother in 1931, his father remarried a woman with a daughter and son.
After eight years of elementary school, Ehm apprenticed as an electrician
from 1932 to 1938. Later he worked as an electromagnetic radio mechanic. During this period he became a member of the Socialist Workers' Youth and the International Metalworkers' Federation
.
in 1939, Ehm was drafted into the Germany Army Wehrmacht
and remained a soldier until 1945. He served as a non-commissioned officer
master radioman (Oberfunkmeister) in the campaigns in France and Russia. His service was in the Army rear areas so he was not directly involved in combat operations. He married Melitta Capek in September 1942 in his hometown of Komotau.
(Kurland-Kessel), he was held by the Soviets as a Prisoner of War
from June 1945 to December 1947. He was held at Prisoner of War Camp #7212 in Karelien. In the camp, he quickly became a foreman on an Electricians Brigade. Ehm worked actively to support the camp's Antifascist committee. His ability to manage people and his desire to cooperate with his Soviet superiors led to a fast rise in the camp leadership. In the Spring of 1947 he received his first postcard from his wife, Melitte, who was living on the island of Rügen
. Through this postcard he learned that he was the father of a son. After his release in December 1947, he worked as a casual laborer to support his family. He was a skilled craftsman, but he was unsuccessful in finding work as an electrician at the Buna works Berlin or at the Post Office (because he didn't have a bicycle).
(SED) in 1948. He worked for the (SED) district leadership in Rügen and later attended the district party school. During this early party work he met
Waldemar Verner
who was the first district Secretary of the SED in Stralsund
who was also later Ehm's predecessor as Chief of the People's Navy (Volksmarine
).
non-commissioned officer ascended quickly in the Naval forces of the German Democratic Republic
. Ehm was different from other early East German military leaders, in that he lacked their long history as communists or socialists since the Weimar Republic. However he possessed a rare and important combination of military professionalism, innate leadership
and political reliability.
From 1950 to 1951, Ehm served as the communications officer for the headquarters of the Sea Police (Seepolizei). From 1954 to 1957, he was Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of Organizational Administration for the People's Police Sea and the Naval Forces. He served as the Deputy Chief of Navy and from 1958 to 1959, as the head of the Rear Services. With his appointment as Rear Admiral on August 1, 1959, he took command of the People's Navy. Ehm was promoted to Vice-Admiral in March 1964. He commanded the People's Navy until his retirement on November 30, 1987, with the exception of August 1961 to February 1963, when he attended the Soviet Naval Academy where he graduated with distinction. In 1972 he also became the Deputy Minister of National Defense. Ehm was promoted to Admiral on the 28th Anniversary of the founding of the German Democratic Republic
in 1977. From 1981 to 1989, Ehm served as a member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party.
Admiral Ehm retired on November 30, 1987.
His many decorations and awards include the Karl Marx Order (Karl-Marx-Orden), Honor Clasp to the Order of Merit for the Fatherland (Ehrenspange des Vaterländischen Verdienstordens (VVO)) and the Scharnhorst Order (Scharnhorstorden).
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
and head of the People's Navy (Volksmarine
Volksmarine
Volksmarine was the official designation of the maritime forces of the German Democratic Republic . It was part of the National People's Army, established in 1956.-History:...
).
Early life
Ehm's father was a carpenterCarpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
who served as an armorer
Armorer
An armourer or armorer is a member of a military or police force who maintains and repairs small arms and weapons systems, with some duties resembling those of a civilian gunsmith....
and a bugler in the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
(KuK Kriegsmarine) during World War I. Ehm was born during his father's military service at Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
, a major Austro-Hungarian Navy port on the Adriatic near Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
. He had a brother Hermann, born in 1913 and a younger sister Maria, born in 1921.
After the war ended in 1918, his family went back to Komotau (now Chomutov
Chomutov
Chomutov is a city in the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region.Chomutov has been a statutory town since 1 July 2006. It occupies an area of 29,26 km² and has 50 782 inhabitants , thereby making it the 20th largest town in the Czech Republic, the 4th largest in the Ústí nad Labem...
), the hometown of his father in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, which is now part of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. There his father served as a municipal employee. After the death of his mother in 1931, his father remarried a woman with a daughter and son.
After eight years of elementary school, Ehm apprenticed as an electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
from 1932 to 1938. Later he worked as an electromagnetic radio mechanic. During this period he became a member of the Socialist Workers' Youth and the International Metalworkers' Federation
International Metalworkers' Federation
International Metalworkers' Federation is a global union federation of metalworkers' trade unions, founded in Zürich, Switzerland in August 1893...
.
Wehrmacht service
After the occupation of CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1939, Ehm was drafted into the Germany Army Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and remained a soldier until 1945. He served as a non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
master radioman (Oberfunkmeister) in the campaigns in France and Russia. His service was in the Army rear areas so he was not directly involved in combat operations. He married Melitta Capek in September 1942 in his hometown of Komotau.
Soviet captivity
When the German 16th Army capitulated in the Courland PocketCourland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
(Kurland-Kessel), he was held by the Soviets as a Prisoner of War
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
from June 1945 to December 1947. He was held at Prisoner of War Camp #7212 in Karelien. In the camp, he quickly became a foreman on an Electricians Brigade. Ehm worked actively to support the camp's Antifascist committee. His ability to manage people and his desire to cooperate with his Soviet superiors led to a fast rise in the camp leadership. In the Spring of 1947 he received his first postcard from his wife, Melitte, who was living on the island of Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
. Through this postcard he learned that he was the father of a son. After his release in December 1947, he worked as a casual laborer to support his family. He was a skilled craftsman, but he was unsuccessful in finding work as an electrician at the Buna works Berlin or at the Post Office (because he didn't have a bicycle).
Socialist Unity Party work
Ehm joined the Socialist Unity Party of GermanySocialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
(SED) in 1948. He worked for the (SED) district leadership in Rügen and later attended the district party school. During this early party work he met
Waldemar Verner
Waldemar Verner
Waldemar Verner was chief of the People's Navy of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic and brother of Paul Verner....
who was the first district Secretary of the SED in Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
who was also later Ehm's predecessor as Chief of the People's Navy (Volksmarine
Volksmarine
Volksmarine was the official designation of the maritime forces of the German Democratic Republic . It was part of the National People's Army, established in 1956.-History:...
).
People's Navy career
Between 1950 and 1958, this former WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
non-commissioned officer ascended quickly in the Naval forces of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
. Ehm was different from other early East German military leaders, in that he lacked their long history as communists or socialists since the Weimar Republic. However he possessed a rare and important combination of military professionalism, innate leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
and political reliability.
From 1950 to 1951, Ehm served as the communications officer for the headquarters of the Sea Police (Seepolizei). From 1954 to 1957, he was Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of Organizational Administration for the People's Police Sea and the Naval Forces. He served as the Deputy Chief of Navy and from 1958 to 1959, as the head of the Rear Services. With his appointment as Rear Admiral on August 1, 1959, he took command of the People's Navy. Ehm was promoted to Vice-Admiral in March 1964. He commanded the People's Navy until his retirement on November 30, 1987, with the exception of August 1961 to February 1963, when he attended the Soviet Naval Academy where he graduated with distinction. In 1972 he also became the Deputy Minister of National Defense. Ehm was promoted to Admiral on the 28th Anniversary of the founding of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
in 1977. From 1981 to 1989, Ehm served as a member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party.
Admiral Ehm retired on November 30, 1987.
His many decorations and awards include the Karl Marx Order (Karl-Marx-Orden), Honor Clasp to the Order of Merit for the Fatherland (Ehrenspange des Vaterländischen Verdienstordens (VVO)) and the Scharnhorst Order (Scharnhorstorden).