MILITARY PERSONNEL

Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma

1891 - 1948

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Wilhelm Josef Ritter von Thoma (11 September 1891 – 30 April 1948) was a German army officer who served in World War I, in the Spanish Civil War, and as a general in World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Thoma is known for his indiscretion while a POW in British captivity, when he unwittingly revealed the existence of the V-1 flying bomb and the V-2 weapons programmes. He was subject to surveillance by British intelligence and while speaking to another German officer, was recorded discussing rockets that were being tested at Kummersdorf West, which he had observed while on a visit that also included Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. British reconnaissance flights over Peenemünde Army Research Center in May and June 1943 brought back unmistakable images of rockets at the facility; the subsequent bombing of the site severely disrupted the programme. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma is the 737th most popular military personnel (up from 855th in 2019), the 1,882nd most popular biography from Germany (up from 2,102nd in 2019) and the 133rd most popular German Military Personnel.

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Among MILITARY PERSONNELS

Among military personnels, Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma ranks 737 out of 2,058. Before him are Raoul Salan, Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg, Werner Ostendorff, Wei Qing, Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria, and Karl-Adolf Hollidt. After him are Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Albert Leo Schlageter, George Meade, Herbert Kappler, Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, and Andriy Melnyk.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1891, Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma ranks 63. Before him are Olga Khokhlova, Moïse Kisling, Otto Rasch, Arnold Jackson, Elvira de Hidalgo, and Karl-Adolf Hollidt. After him are John Langenus, Lilya Brik, Dimitrije Ljotić, Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Oswald Boelcke, and Walter A. Shewhart. Among people deceased in 1948, Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma ranks 64. Before him are Otto Rasch, Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din, Arshile Gorky, Princess Henriette of Belgium, Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, and Mitsumasa Yonai. After him are Therese Brandl, Prince Adalbert of Prussia, Jacques Feyder, Archduke Wilhelm of Austria, Egon Kisch, and Irmfried Eberl.

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In Germany

Among people born in Germany, Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma ranks 1,882 out of 7,253. Before him are William Dieterle (1893), Karl-Adolf Hollidt (1891), Friedrich von Flotow (1812), Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria (1905), Princess Mathilde of Bavaria (1877), and Eugen Fink (1905). After him are Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1737), Albert Leo Schlageter (1894), Oskar Gröning (1921), Theodor Nöldeke (1836), Herbert Kappler (1907), and Magdalena Sibylla of Saxe-Weissenfels (1648).

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Among MILITARY PERSONNELS In Germany

Among military personnels born in Germany, Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma ranks 133. Before him are Wilhelm Schepmann (1894), Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (1886), Lothar von Trotha (1848), Hans Langsdorff (1894), Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg (1759), and Karl-Adolf Hollidt (1891). After him are Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1737), Albert Leo Schlageter (1894), Herbert Kappler (1907), Hans Hermann von Katte (1704), Max Immelmann (1890), and Erich Brandenberger (1892).

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