(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel
Born: 22 Sep 1882 in Helmscherode, District Gandersheim
Died: 16 Oct 1946 in Nuremberg (Nürnberg) (Executed)
Promotions:
Fähnrich (14 Oct 1901); Leutnant (18 Aug 1902); Oberleutnant (18 Aug 1910); Hauptmann (08 Oct 1914); Major (01 Jun 1923); Oberstleutnant (01 Feb 1929); Oberst (01 Oct 1931); Generalmajor (01 Apr 1934); Generalleutnant (01 Jan 1936); General der Artillerie (01 Aug 1937); Generaloberst (01 Nov 1938); Generalfeldmarschall (19 Jul 1940)
Career:
Entered Army Service (09 Mar 1901)
Fahnenjunker in the 46th Field-Artillery-Regiment, Wolfenbüttel (09 Mar 1901-01 Oct 1906)
Detached to Field Artillery Firing School (01 Oct 1904-31 Jan 1905)
Detached to the Military Riding Institute Hannover (01 Oct 1906-1908)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 46th Field-Artillery-Regiment (1908-14 Sep 1914)
Wounded, in Hospital (14 Sep 1914-10 Oct 1914)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 46th Field-Artillery-Regiment (10 Oct 1914-11 Nov 1914)
Battery-Leader in the 46th Field-Artillery-Regiment (11 Nov 1914-09 Mar 1915)
In the General-Staff of X. Reserve-Corps (09 Mar 1915-1916)
Chief of Operations (Ia) in the General-Staff of the 19th Reserve-Division (1916-31 Dec 1917)
Chief of Operations (Ia) in the General-Staff of Naval-Corps Flandern (31 Dec 1917-10 Jan 1919)
Chief Supply Officer (Ib) in the General-Staff of II. Army-Corps (10 Jan 1919-01 Jun 1919)
Transferred into the General-Staff of the 10th Reichswehr-Brigade (01 Jun 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Tactics-Instructor at the Cavalry School (01 Oct 1919-15 Sep 1922)
Chief of 7th Battery of the 6th Artillery-Regiment, Wolfenbüttel (15 Sep 1922-01 Feb 1925)
Advisor in the RWM, in the Training-Department T 4 under von Blomberg (01 Feb 1925-01 Nov 2927)
Commander of II. Battalion of the 6th Artillery-Regiment, Minden (01 Nov 1927-01 Oct 1929)
Director of the Organisation-Department of the Army in the RWM (01 Oct 1929-01 Oct 1933)
Artillery-Leader III (01 Oct 1933-01 Oct 1934)
Commandant of Bremen, Delegated with the Formation of 22nd Division (01 Oct 1934-01 Oct 1935)
Chief of the Wehrmacht-Office, RKM (01 Oct 1935-04 Feb 1938)
Chief of OKW (04 Feb 1938-20 Dec 1941)
Transfered, 'on Instruction of the Führer', after the Dissolution of the Office of 'Commander-in-Chief of the Army', took over Supreme Command as 'Leader and Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht' with all the powers of Commander-in-Chief of the Army with the exception of the conduct of Operations and Personnel Questions, which Hitler kept (20 Dec 1941-26 Apr 1945)
The Offices of OKW and OKH are consolidated (26 Apr 1945-09 May 1945)
Repeated as Leader of the German Delegation at 00:16 Hours (with Generaladmiral von Friedeburg and Luftwaffe Generaloberst Stumpff) Signing the Unconditional Surrender at the Soviet Headquarters in Berlin-Karlshorst (09 May 1945-13 May 1945)
In Captivity, Relieved of Service as Chief of OKW and imprisoned on the 'Patria' in Flensburg-Mürwik by Eisenhower's delegate US Major-General Rooks. Moved to Palace-Hotel on Mondorf, Luxembourg (13 May 1945-15 Aug 1945)
Transferred to Nuremberg (15 Aug 1945-06 Oct 1946)
Indictment on all 4 counts as a Major War Criminal in the Main Nuremberg Trials by the International Military Tribunal (06 Oct 1945-01 Oct 1946)
Found Guilty on all 4 counts and Sentenced to Death (01 Oct 1946)
Executed by Hanging (16 Oct 1946)

Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz: am 30.09.1939 als Generaloberst und Chef des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht
- RK des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
- EK I: 00.10.1914
- EK II: 00.00.1914
- Grossherzoglich Hessische Tapferkeitsmedaille
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz
- Herzoglich Braunschweigischer Orden Heinrich des Löwen
- Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse
- Braunschweigisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse
- Bewährungsabzeichen zum Braunschweiger Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse
- Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz II. Klasse mit Spange “Vor dem Feinde”
- Grossherzoglich Oldenburgisches Friedrich August-Kreuz I. Klasse
- Bremisches Hanseatenkreuz
- RK II. des Herzogl. Sachsen-Ernestinischen Hausordens
- k.u.k. Österr. Militär-Verdienstkreuz III. Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1918 in Schwarz
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13.03.1938
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13.03.1938 mit Spange “Prager Burg”
- Goldenes Ehrenzeichen der NSDAP: 20.04.1939
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes
- Spange zum EK I: 00.09.1939
- Spange zum EK II: 00.09.1939
- Kgl. Rumän. Orden “Michael der Tapfere” III. bis I. Klasse: 14.10.1941
- Grosskreuz des Finn. Freiheitskreuzes mit Schwertern: 25.03.1942
- Grosskreuz des Kgl. Italien. Militärordens von Savoyen
- Grosskreuz des Orden der Weissen Rose von Finnland mit Schwertern und Bruststern
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 20.07.1944 in Schwarz: 00.00.1944


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