(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalleutnant Ernst Gerke
Born: 07 Jun 1890 in Altenburg, Thuringia (Thüringen)
Died: 01 Aug 1973 in Bartgeheide
Promotions:
Fähnrich (24 Feb 1910); Leutnant (20 Mar 1911); Oberleutnant (20 Aug 1915); Hauptmann (09 Nov 1918); Major (01 Apr 1931); Oberstleutnant (01 Sep 1934); Oberst (01 Mar 1937); Generalmajor (01 Feb 1941); Generalleutnant (01 Jan 1943)
Career:
Entered Army Service (24 Feb 1910)
Passed Out the Saxon Cadet-Corps as Fähnrich in the (Royal Saxon) 7th Company of the 2nd Railway-Regiment (24 Feb 1910-01 Oct 1913)
Detached for Telegraph-Training to the 1st Telegraph-Battalion (05 Dec 1912-10 May 1913)
Transferred into the 7th Telegraph-Battalion (01 Oct 1913-02 Aug 1914)
Detached to Radio-Operator-School in Spandau-Ruhleben (10 Mar 1914-15 Jul 1914)
2nd Radio-Officer of the 25th Heavy Radio-Station (02 Aug 1914-01 Aug 1915)
Leader of the 23rd Light Radio-Station (01 Aug 1915-17 Oct 1916)
Wounded, in Hospital (17 Oct 1916-29 Nov 1916)
Adjutant of the 2nd Radio-Replacement-Battalion (29 Nov 1916-05 Dec 1916)
Transferred to the Replacement-Battalion of the 7th Telegraph-Battalion (05 Dec 1916-08 Jun 1917)
Detached to the Inspection of the 1st Signals-Replacement-Battalion (08 Jun 1917-12 Jul 1917)
Adjutant of the Inspection of the 1st Signals-Replacement-Battalion (12 Jul 1917-07 Dec 1917)
Saxon Liaison-Officer with the Staff of the Chief of Signals Affairs in the Grand Headquarters (07 Dec 1917-01 Dec 1918)
At the same time, Detached as Signals-Liaison-Officer to the High Command of Army-Group Deutscher Kronprinz (18 Mar 1918-03 Apr 1918)
Transferred as Saxon Liaison-Officer of the Inspection of Signals Troops (01 Dec 1918-21 Jun 1919)
Transferred to the 312th Brigade-Radio-Operator-Battalion while retaining previous command (21 Jun 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Transferred to the Signals School (01 Oct 1919-29 May 1920)
Detached to the Personnel-Office of the Army Command (29 May 1920-01 Oct 1920)
Instructor at the Artillery-School (01 Oct 1920-01 Jan 1921)
Transferred into the RWM (01 Jan 1921-01 Jul 1923)
Hauptmann with the Staff of the 5th Signals-Battalion (01 Jul 1923-01 Oct 1924)
Detached to the Cavalry School, Hannover (04 Jul 1924-19 Jul 1924)
Chief of the 2nd Company of the 5th Signals-Battalion (01 Oct 1924-01 Mar 1927)
Transferred to the Staff of the 3rd Division (01 Mar 1927-01 Oct 1927)
Transferred into the 3rd Mounted-Regiment while retaining previous post (01 Oct 1927-12 Mar 1930)
Detached to Radio-Course for Army and Navy with the Reichs Post Central Office (07 Jan 1930-01 Feb 1930)
Detached to the RWM (12 Mar 1930-01 Apr 1930)
Transferred into the RWM (01 Apr 1930-01 Oct 1934)
Commander of the Signals-Battalion Munich (B) (01 Oct 1934-15 Oct 1935)
Commander of Signals Troops V (15 Oct 1935-10 Nov 1938)
Liaison-Officer of the Chief of the Wehrmacht-Signals-Affairs in OKW to the Reichs Post Central Office (10 Nov 1938-03 Apr 1939)
Detached to the Staff of the Wehrmacht-Plenipotentiary with the Reichs Protector and Military-District-Commander in Bohemia and Moravia (03 Apr 1939-01 Jul 1939)
Transferred to the Staff of the Wehrmacht-Plenipotentiary with the Reichs Protector and Military-District-Commander in Bohemia and Moravia (01 Jul 1939-08 Sep 1939)
Higher Signals Leader of the 4th Army (08 Sep 1939-10 Oct 1941)
Higher Signals Leader of Army-Group South (10 Oct 1941-09 Jul 1942)
Higher Signals Leader of Army-Group Africa (23 Mar 1943-10 May 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (10 May 1943-10 Jun 1943)
Higher Signals Leader of Work-Staff Rommel (10 Jun 1943-19 Jul 1943)
Higher Signals Leader of Army-Group B (19 Jul 1943-26 Nov 1943)
Higher Signals Leader of Special-Purpose-Army-Group (26 Nov 1943-01 Jan 1944)
Higher Signals Leader of Army-Group B in France (01 Jan 1944-08 May 1945)
In Captivity (09 May 1945-1947)
Released (1947)

Awards & Decorations:
Deutsches Kreuz in Silber (15 Feb 1943)
Ritterkreuz zum Kriegsverdienstkreuz mit Schwertern (08 May 1945)


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