Gerhard was born on 21 December 1918 in Berlin, Germany. Details of his family are unknown. He escaped Nazi Germany and in 1939 he was living at the Kitchener Camp in Kent were he was listed as working as a dyer. His enemy exemption form states that his normal occupation was a textile chemist and his present occupation was a teacher of English and National Service work in the Pioneer Corps. Gerhard was killed on the night of 29 December 1940 during the Blitz.

Four other members of the Pioneer Corps were also killed that night. Between 6pm on the night of the 29th and the early hours of the following morning, more than 24,000 high explosive bombs and 100,000 incendiary bombs were dropped. It was the largest continuous area of Blitz destruction in Britain. It stretched south from Islington to the edge of St Paul’s Churchyard. German planning had the raid coincide with a particularly low tide on the River Thames, making it difficult to obtain water for firefighting. The others killed were Heinz Kiwi, Emil Mesner, Heinz Goldstein and Solomon Buchsbaum.