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Ehrig, Werner Julius Clement

Date of birth:
April 22nd, 1897 (Eibenstock/Saxony, Germany)
Date of death:
January 31st, 1981 (Oldenburg/Lower Saxony, Germany)
Nationality:
German

Biography

20.11.1914: Gefreiter
15.12.1914: Unteroffizier
14.07.1915: Fähnrich
03.12.1915: Leutnant
01.11.1925: Oberleutnant
01.08.1933: Hauptmann
01.01.1937: Major
01.04.1939: Oberstleutnant
01.10.1941: Oberst
01.01.1944: Generalmajor
09.11.1944: Generalleutnant

Werner Ehrig joined the army on September 18, 1914, and was promoted to lieutenant in the 108th Infantry Regiment on December 3, 1915 with a patent on May 23, 1916. He served as an officer in the First World War.

After the end of the war he was accepted into the Reichswehr. Promoted to first lieutenant on November 1, 1925, he was in the 13th (mine thrower) company of the 11th Infantry Regiment in 1930.

On January 1, 1937 he became major and in 1939 was on the General Staff of the XIII. Army Corps (Nuremberg). From March 1, 1939 to August 26, 1939 he was Ia in the 22nd Infantry Division, from April 1939 a lieutenant colonel. From October 25, 1939, he was in command of the 2nd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 216. In mid-March 1940, he was assigned to the 164th Infantry Division. Chief of the General Staff of the LXXXVII. He was Army Corps in 1942. At the beginning of February 1942 he was promoted to colonel on April 1, 1941 with a patent.

At the end of October 1943, after the division had to withdraw from the Ukraine, he took command of the 340th Infantry Division. This was smashed at the end of 1943 and then rebuilt. Ehrig became major general on January 1, 1944. In April 1944, the division was trapped near Brody, but was able to break free. In mid-June 1944 he handed over the command to Major General Otto Beutler. At the beginning of July 1944 he became commander of the newly established Shadow Division Infantry Division Grafenwoehr, which was used in mid-July 1944 to set up the 544th Grenadier Division. Ehrig became the commander of the 544th Grenadier Division, as well as the 544th Volksgrenadier Division, which had emerged from the 544th Grenadier Division. He was promoted to Lieutenant General on November 9, 1944. From the beginning of January 1945, the 544th Volksgrenadier Division was involved with the 17th Army in the Vistula-Oder Operation and the West Carpathian Operation. In May 1945 the division was taken prisoner by the Soviets in Bohemia.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberstleutnant im Generalstab (Lieutenant-colonel to the General Staff)
Unit:
Ia, 22.Infanterie-Division (LL)
Awarded on:
May 26th, 1940
The following wartime excerpt (dated 30.08.1940) describes why Ehrig received the Knight’s Cross…

“Oberstleutnant Werner Ehrig has rendered invaluable service during the preparation for the operation against Fortress Holland. By doing so he decisively aided in the completion of the assigned missions. Through his initiative he succeeded in delivering orders to all subordinated troop elements in a timely fashion despite the great difficulties encountered. He has furthermore demonstrated personal bravery in an outstanding fashion.”
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Generalmajor (Brigadier)
Unit:
Kommandeur, 340.Infanterie-Division
Awarded on:
July 14th, 1944
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
May 14th, 1940
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 1er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
May 14th, 1940
1939 Spange zum Eisernes Kreuz 2er Klasse 1914
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
March 5th, 1935
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
August 10th, 1918
Eisernes Kreuz 1.Klasse (1914)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
February 29th, 1916
Eisernes Kreuz 2.Klasse (1914)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 9th, 1916
with swords
Ritterkreuz II. Klasse des Königlich Sächsischer Albrechtsordens
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 27th, 1915
Friedrich-August-medaille in Silber
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
February 25th, 1919
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (1918)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
February 6th, 1945
Wehrmachtbericht
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 2nd, 1936
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht 4.Klasse, 4 Jahre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 2nd, 1936
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht  3.Klasse, 12 Jahre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
October 2nd, 1936
Dienstauszeichnung der Wehrmacht  2. Klasse, 18 Jahre
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
with swords
Ordinul Steaua Romaniei Commander

Sources

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