| Wilhelm-Ernst Freiherr von Cramm | |
|---|---|
 Coat of Arms | |
| Born | 30 September 1917 |
| Died | 29 May 1996 (aged 78) |
| Place of birth | Brüggen |
| Place of death | Oelber am weißen Wege |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Years of service | 1936–1945 |
| Rank | Major |
| Commands held | Divisions-Füsilier-Abteilung 58 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Relations | Gottfried von Cramm |
| Other work | politician |
Wilhelm-Ernst August Bernhard Adolf Martin Freiherr von Cramm[Note 1] (30 September 1917 – 29 May 1996) was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. After the war he became head of the German Party, a conservative German political party. His brother was Gottfried Freiherr von Cramm, a German amateur era tennis champion and twice French Open champion.
Early life and military career[]
Von Cramm was born on 30 September 1917 in Brüggen, in the former district of Alfeld of the Province of Hanover, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia. He was the son of Burghard Freiherr von Cramm (1874 – 1936), and his wife Jutta née von Steinberg (1885 – 1972). Von Cramm joined the military service of the Wehrmacht with 3. Schwadron/Kavallerie-Regiment 13 (3rd Squadron of the 13th Cavalry Regiment) on 4 December 1936, three months later on 2 February 1937 he transferred to the 2. Schwadron (2nd Squadron) of the same regiment.[1]
Awards and decorations[]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Eastern Front Medal (29 July 1942)[2]
- General Assault Badge (12 September 1942)[2]
- German Cross in Gold on 6 December 1943 as Rittmeister in Füsilier-Bataillon 58[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 April 1944 as Major and commander Divisions-Füsilier-Abteilung 58[4][5]
Notes[]
- ↑ Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a former title (translated as Baron), which is now legally a part of the last name. The female forms are Freifrau and Freiin.
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall (in German). ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Thomas, Franz and Wegmann, Günter (1998). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 4: C–Dow (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2534-0.
External links[]
- Ritterkreuzträger 1939-1945
- World War II Awards.com
- "Man to" (in German). 1963. http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-45143180.html. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
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