Ribbon bar of Admiral Wilhelm Ehm

[webr55]

I have posted this before (http://gmic.co.uk/topic/8319-my-first/), but I thought, after more than ten years, it would be worthwhile to post it here in better order. Also, there is some new information.

This is the ribbon bar of Admiral Wilhelm Ehm (1918-2009), who was Chief of the GDR People's Navy from 1959-61 and 1963-87. The photo shows him wearing his bar (not this particular, but a similar one), between 1981 and 1983.  

 

[webr55]

These are the awards on his bar. Especially interesting are his numerous foreign awards:

1) Ehrenspange zum Vaterländischen Verdienstorden (awarded in 1981) (Honor Clasp to the Patriotic Order of Merit)
2) Vaterländischer Verdienstorden in Gold (awarded in 1978) (Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold)
3) Vaterländischer Verdienstorden in Silber (awarded in 1960) (Patriotic Order of Merit in Silver)

4) Scharnhorst Order 
5) Kampforden für Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Gold
6) Kampforden für Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Silber
7) Kampforden für Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Bronze

8) Order of the Red Star (Soviet Union) 
9) Ehrentitel Verdienter Angehöriger der Nationalen Volksarmee
10) Erinnerungsmedaille 20. Jahrestag demokratische Bodenreform (1965)
11) Verdienstmedaille der Nationalen Volksarmee in Gold

12) Polonia Restituta, Grand Officer (Poland)
13) probably „Ernesto Che Guevara“-Order 1st class (Cuba) [[Update, see below!: Yugoslav Order of Military Merit 1st class ]] (on an improvised ribbon, which is too wide for the original award, however the correct width is on his second bar, see below)
14) Cruz Naval al Merito Especial (Mexico) (on an improvised ribbon, most probably awarded in 1980, see below)

15) Verdienstmedaille der Nationalen Volksarmee in Silber
16) Ehrenzeichen der Deutschen Volkspolizei
17) Verdienstmedaille der Deutschen Post in Gold 
18) Medaille für Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Gold

19) Medaille für Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Silber
20) Medaille für Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Bronze
21) Medaille für vorbildlichen Grenzdienst 
22) Friedrich-Engels-Preis (awarded in 1973, no device here, but it is on his second bar, see below)

23) Medaille der Waffenbrüderschaft in Gold (Medal "Brotherhood in Arms")
24) Verdienstmedaille der Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse in Gold
25) Verdienstmedaille der Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse in Bronze
26) Erinnerungsmedaille anlässlich des 20jährigen Bestehens der Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse (1973) (no device here, but it is on his second bar, see below)

27) Medaille für ausgezeichnete Leistungen in landwirtschaftlichen Produktionsgenossenschaften
28) Jubiläumsmedaille „60 Jahre Rote Armee“ (Soviet Union) (1978)
29) Jubiläumsmedaille „30 Jahre Bulgarische Volksarmee“ (Bulgaria) (1974)
30) Jubiläumsmedaille „50 Jahre Volksarmee“ (Mongolia) (1971)

31) Order of Friendship of Nations (Soviet Union)
32) Medaille zur Stärkung der Waffenbrüderschaft 1. Klasse (CSSR) (1970) ("Brotherhood in Arms" medal)
33) Medaille der Waffenbrüderschaft in Gold (Hungary) (1979) ("Brotherhood in Arms" medal)

34) Medaille der Waffenbrüderschaft (Bulgaria) (1975) ("Brotherhood in Arms" medal)
35) Medaille für 20 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee (Long Service Medal, National People's Army)
36) Medaille für 15 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee (Long Service Medal, National People's Army)
37) Medaille für 10 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee (Long Service Medal, National People's Army)

38) Medaille für 5 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee (Long Service Medal, National People's Army)
39) Medaille für Treue Dienste in der Kasernierten Volkspolizei (Long Service Medal in "barracks police", before National People's Army)

 

 

Edited March 4, 2018 by webr55
updated information

[webr55]

No. 13 and 14 have been puzzling me for a long time. 

About 13, see this thread: http://gmic.co.uk/topic/14307-orden-quoternesto-che-guevaraquot/ 
It seems very plausible that Ehm got the Cuban order, from a friendly state. It must have been awarded between 1973 and 1978. (Picture below from Stogieman) [[Update, see below!: Yugoslav Order of Military Merit 1st class ]] 

About 14: The Mexican "Cruz Naval al Merito Especial" (Navy Special Merit Cross) is the one pictured below. The ribbon can also be found here: http://www.coleccionesmilitares.com/cintas/america/mejico4.gif
I am very confident Ehm got this award in 1980, when ships of the Mexican navy visited the GDR. There is a small report in the "Neues Deutschland" here (mentioning Ehm): https://www.nd-archiv.de/ausgabe/1980-07-24

 

 

Here is the second bar, not mine. It was sold in 2008. 

This bar dates from 1986:

On this bar, we have (those in bold are new awards):

 

1)    Karl-Marx-Orden (awarded in 1983)
2)    Ehrenspange zum Vaterländischen Verdienstorden
3)    Vaterländischer Verdienstorden in Gold
4)    Vaterländischer Verdienstorden in Silber 

5)    Scharnhorst-Orden
6)    Kampforden für Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Gold
7)    Kampforden für Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Silber
8)    Kampforden für Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Bronze
9)    Order of the Red Star (second award) (Soviet Union)

10) Order of the Red Star (Soviet Union)
11) Orden Banner der Arbeit 1. Kl. (Order Banner of Labor 1st class)
12) Ehrentitel Verdienter Angehöriger der Nationalen Volksarmee
13) Verdienter Angehöriger der Grenztruppen der DDR
14) Ehrentitel Verdienter Seemann  

15) Polonia Restituta, Grand Officer (Poland)
16) probably "Ernesto Che Guevara" Order 1st class (Cuba) (now in correct width) [[Update, see below!: Yugoslav Order of Military Merit 1st class ]] 
17) Cruz Naval al Merito Especial (Navy Special Merit Cross) (Mexico)
18) my guess: Order of Miguel Larreynaga from Nicaragua (must have been awarded between 1981 and 1986) 

19) Verdienstmedaille der Nationalen Volksarmee in Gold
20) Verdienstmedaille der Nationalen Volksarmee in Silber
21) Medaille für Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Gold
22) Medaille für Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Silber
23) Medaille für Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Bronze 

24) Verdienstmedaille der Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse in Gold
25) Verdienstmedaille der Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse in Bronze
26) Verdienstmedaille der Deutschen Post in Gold 
27) Ehrenzeichen der Deutschen Volkspolizei
28) Medaille für vorbildlichen Grenzdienst 

29) Friedrich-Engels-Preis (here with device)
30) Medaille der Waffenbrüderschaft in Gold (Brotherhood in Arms)
31) Medaille Waffenbrüderschaft (Soviet Union) (1979) (Brotherhood in Arms, worn upside down)
32) Medaille zur Stärkung der Waffenbrüderschaft 1. Klasse (CSSR) (1970) (Brotherhood in Arms) 

33) Medaille der Waffenbrüderschaft in Gold (Ungarn) (1979) ("Brotherhood in Arms", Hungary)
34) Medaille der Waffenbrüderschaft (Polen) (Odznaka Braterstwa Broni) ("Brotherhood in Arms" from Poland)
35) Medaille der Waffenbrüderschaft (Bulgarien) (1975) ("Brotherhood in Arms", Bulgaria)
36) Medaille für ausgezeichnete Leistungen in landwirtschaftlichen Produktionsgenossenschaften

37) Erinnerungsmedaille anlässlich des 20jährigen Bestehens der Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse (1973) (here with device)
38) Medaille zum 30. Jahrestag der DDR (1979)
39) Erinnerungsmedaille 20. Jahrestag demokratische Bodenreform (1965)
40) Jubiläumsmedaille „60 Jahre Rote Armee“ (UdSSR) (1978)
41) Jubiläumsmedaille „30 Jahre Bulgarische Volksarmee“ (Bulgarien) (1974)

42) Jubiläumsmedaille „50 Jahre Volksarmee“ (Mongolei) (1971)
43) Medaille für 20 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee
44) Medaille für 15 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee
45) Medaille für 10 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee
46) Medaille für Treue Dienste in der Kasernierten Volkspolizei

Edited March 4, 2018 by webr55

[webr55]

Finally, some more pictures of Ehm. 

This one must have been taken between 1971 (Mongolian medal) and 1973 (Friedrich Engels Prize is missing):

 

 

This one between 1977 (promotion to Admiral) and 1978. The Yugoslav award is there, but not yet the Mexican one:

 

 

And a last one with Erich Honecker, dating from 1985:

 

I copy the short CV from my former thread: 

Wilhelm Ehm was born in 1918 during the final days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in Pola near Triest. After WW1, his family moved to Bohemia, where they lived in Czechoslovakia until the German occupation. Ehm was then drafted into the Wehrmacht and became Oberfunker (NCO) in the Nachrichtentruppe. So, unlike other DDR military leaders, he was not a former "anti-fascist" fighter. 

He was in the Kurland army in 1945, then Russian POW, released 1947. Entered SED 1948, and 1950 (as Oberkommissar/1st Lt.) in Hauptverwaltung Seepolizei (HVS), the forerunner of the People's Navy (therefore naval barracks' police!). Rose quickly to deputy chief of staff of the People's Navy (founded in 1956) and as such to Kapitän zS in 1957. 

In 1959, it came as a big surprise to many that he (being just 41) was chosen by his predecessor Waldemar Verner as the new chief of the People's Navy, with promotion to Konteradmiral. From 1961-63, he was granted leave to attend the Naval Academy in Leningrad. Apparently, he was never really satisfied with his military knowledge, earning a (non-honorary) PhD in 1978 at the age of 60. 

He made Vizeadmiral in 1964, deputy minister of defence in 1972, Admiral in 1977. In 1987, he retired on his own will. Died in 2009.

Edited March 9, 2018 by webr55

[Gordon Craig]

webr55,

Thanks for this excellent and very informative thread.  And congratulations in ferreting out the elusive foreign awards.  That takes lots of time and hard work.

Regards,

Gordon

 

[Eric Gaumann]

I wonder....  Since he "attended the Naval Academy in Leningrad (USSR) from 1961-63" was he wearing, on his right breast (our left), the Soviet Higher Academy Graduation badge in this particular picture?

I notice in other images he's wearing the distinctive triangular academy badge peculiar to the DDR in that spot.

[webr55]

Yes - thanks for the picture, I think that’s exactly the badge he is wearing. 

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Hello,

with all respect, IMHO the identification of the Cuban Order of Ernesto Che Guevara is incorrect. Unfortunately, I do not have the complete list of Ehm's awards, still the photo of the admiral, taken between 1977 and 1978 (and the dating of the photo seems correct) can be helpful here. The photo depicts Ehm already wearing the ribbon of the said order. In fact, (leaving aside ribbon width) it cannot be the Order of Che Guevara, as it was established only in December 1979, i.e. 1-2 years after the photo was taken!

So if not the Order of Che Guevara, what then can it be? IMO it is the Yugoslav Order of Military Merit 1st Class. In 1960s and 1970s several high-ranking DDR military were awarded with that order. It is possible that Ehm was one of them. The width of the ribbon also goes well with it. See here.

[webr55]

Lukasz,

thanks for this information about the Cuban order, I did not know that. That picture of Ehm was definitely taken before he received his Vaterländischen Verdienstorden in Gold in 1978. So it cannot be the Che Guevara order. 

Yes, in that case, the Yugoslav Order of Military Merit 1st class is very plausible. Actually, I found that in 1977, visits of friendship and talks took place between the GDR and Yugoslavia: https://www.nd-archiv.de/ausgabe/1977-01-14

It therefore is very likely that Ehm received this award on that occasion. Thanks for the information!

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

My pleasure! There is one more hint that Ehm's photo was taken closer to 1977 (probably soon after his promotion to full admiral). On the photo he is wearing the ribbon of the early type of the Ehrentitel Verdienter Angehöriger der Nationalen Volksarmee (last in the second row). Apparently he was in the first group of military awarded with that decoration. The Ehrentitel was established in 1975, but already in 1977 its form changed completely and the recipients were requested to replace it with the new medal.

[webr55]

Thanks for the additional information!