Gerhard Pleiss or in German Gerhard Pleiß was a Hauptsturmführer (Captain) in the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. He was born on 20 April 1915 in Remscheid. He went to an upper secondary school in Dortmund and then began as apprenticeship as an intern with the intention of becoming a Dentist. On the 15 April 1936 he volunteered for the SS and was accepted into the Leibstandarte in Berlin and given the SS number 323 807. He attended the Junker school in Braunschweig, and on the 20 April 1939 was promoted to SS-Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant)