webr55

The back:

Here is my new Reuss ribbon bar. The EK ribbon is in bad condition, as you can see. The swords on the Reuss ribbon look gold or bronze. I'm not sure - an officer? Then he would have a prewar AOR and SEHO w/oX. Or a reserve NCO - without LS and with merit crosses???

... is now also selling this one:

The same seller who is selling this:

Thanks Glenn! That means he got the EK2 a few days before his commission. Which explains why he still wears the NCO tresse on the pic with his brother. Pic #9 must have been taken after 1st Feb.

WOW! Excellent work! I don't have that date, where on earth did you find that? Chris

Just discovered this thread. I can find only one Josef Enderle with a Dr., so both should be the same person. Josef Enderle got his Dr. rer. nat. in geology, at the University of T?bingen on 19.05.1914. Of course, his "Prof." was not a university professor, but a senior teacher.

Sorry, can't do any better than this. Don't have the original pic.

Yes, correct observation! Even after reading this fairly long article on him, it is still not totally clear to me why he rose to such heights. BTW, what is that badge he is wearing on his right side?

Thanks for the info, I'll update the list! I have a biographical article about Ehm. Here are some basics: He 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 Kapit?n 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. As far as I know, he is still alive.

Ok, ok, so here he is: This bar belonged to Admiral Wilhelm Ehm Chief of the People's Navy 1959-61 and 1963-87.

Ok, so these are the ribbons - I think. Some I cannot recognize at all, especially those in the 4th row. Can anyone help? 1) Ehrenspange zum Vaterl?ndischen Verdienstorden 2) Vaterl?ndischer Verdienstorden in Gold 3) Vaterl?ndischer Verdienstorden in Silber 4) Scharnhorst-Orden 5) Kampforden f?r Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Gold 6) Kampforden f?r Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Silber 7) Kampforden f?r Verdienste um Volk und Vaterland in Bronze 8) Orden des Roten Sterns (UdSSR) 9) Ehrentitel Verdienter Angeh?riger der Nationalen Volksarme 10) Erinnerungsmedaille 20. Jahrestag demokratische Bodenreform (1965) [??] 11) Verdienstmedaille der Nationalen Volksarmee in Gold 12) Polonia Restituta, Kommandeur mit Stern (Polen) 13) ?? 14) ?? 15) Verdienstmedaille der Nationalen Volksarmee in Silber 16) Ehrenzeichen der Deutschen Volkspolizei 17) Verdienstmedaille der Deutschen Post in Gold [??] 18) Medaille f?r Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Gold 19) Medaille f?r Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Silber 20) Medaille f?r Treue Dienste in der Seeverkehrswirtschaft in Bronze 21) Medaille f?r vorbildlichen Grenzdienst [??] 22) Ehrentitel Verdienter Werkt?tiger des Bereiches der haus- und kommunalwirtschaftlichen Dienstleistungen der DDR [??] 23) Medaille der Waffenbr?derschaft in Gold 24) Verdienstmedaille der Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse in Gold 25) Verdienstmedaille der Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse in Bronze 26) ?? 27) Medaille f?r ausgezeichnete Leistungen in landwirtschaftlichen Produktionsgenossenschaften [??] 28) Jubil?umsmedaille ?60 Jahre Rote Armee? (UdSSR) 29) Jubil?umsmedaille ?30 Jahre Bulgarische Volksarmee? (Bulgarien) (1974) 30) Jubil?umsmedaille ?50 Jahre Volksarmee? (Mongolei) (1971) 31) Orden der Freundschaft der Nationen (UdSSR) 32) Medaille zur St?rkung der Waffenbr?derschaft 1. Klasse (CSSR) (1970) 33) Medaille der Waffenbr?derschaft in Gold (Ungarn) (1979) 34) Medaille der Waffenbr?derschaft (Bulgarien) (1975) 35) Medaille f?r 20 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee 36) Medaille f?r 15 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee 37) Medaille f?r 10 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee 38) Medaille f?r 5 Jahre Treue Dienste in der Nationalen Volksarmee 39) Medaille f?r Treue Dienste in der Kasernierten Volkspolizei

Yes, I think that is the Red Star. I haven't been able to identify all those ribbons, I'm not sure what the foreign ones are. Paul, your guess isn't bad... BTW, the zirkonia jewels on the Ehrenspange are still there! Chris

Yes, I ID'd the wearer through a photo. But maybe someone would like to guess??

Gentlemen, I have never bought GDR stuff before. But sometimes you find the one-of-a-kind item you've got to have. Well, I found mine:

2nd one (Medaglia al Valor Militare, silver, not gold as Marseille)

Same blue ribbon on these pics:

Reverse:

Our old friend baff002 now has this one, at 1460 Euro, hm...

That's interesting. Do you know how many children he had? I ask because I got the following story from a relative whose father was also in the Kurland army: Just before the surrender, a local commander in Kurland decided to let all those with three or more children board their last intact ship and sail across the Baltic sea to Holstein, where they surrendered to the British - and got home quite soon.

Couldn't have said it better. What looks logical and necessary from today's point of view, depended actually on quite contingent circumstances in its time. And I don't think the "What if" question is just academic play.

That is great work on a real long-term case! ID would not have been possible without the WMVO rolls. I hope we will all get to see them soon!

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#2:

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