Human Game: The True Story of the 'Great Escape' Murders and the Hunt for the Gestapo Gunmen

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Human Game: The True Story of the 'Great Escape' Murders and the Hunt for the Gestapo Gunmen Page 34

by Read, Simon


  Kidder, Gordon (Flying Officer), viii, xv, 241

  background of, 69–70

  escape from Stalag Luft III, 69, 71–72

  murder of, 65, 66–67, 72, 73–74, 75, 77, 78–79, 79–84, 82, 85, 86–89, 90, 93–94, 97, 152, 161, 162, 219–220, 223, 224, 227

  recapture of, 72

  reconstruction of murder, 82, 82

  Kiel (Gestapo and Kripo), xv, 20, 22–27, 205–216, 216–217, 218–219, 220–222. See also specific members

  Kiel, Germany, 40, 63, 162

  Kierath, Reginald (Flying Officer), viii, 100–101, 102, 103, 104, 241

  Kiewnarski, Antoni (Flight Lieutenant), viii, 188, 241

  killing field examined by Bowes and Lyon, 83

  Kiowsky, Friedrich (Zlín Frontier Police driver), xv

  Czech custody of, 219

  interrogation of, 77–81, 83

  Schauschütz and, 76

  van der Bijil and, 66–67

  Zacharias and, 88, 89

  Kirby-Green, Thomas (Squadron Leader), viii, xv, 241

  background of, 68–69

  escape from Stalag Luft III, 69, 70, 71–72

  letters written to home by, 69, 70–71

  murder of, 65, 66, 67, 72, 73–74, 77, 78–83, 82, 84, 85, 88–89, 94, 97, 152, 161–162, 219–220, 223, 224, 227

  recapture of, 72

  reconstruction of murder, 82, 82

  Kiske (Breslau Gestapo), xiv, 185

  Knappe (Breslau Gestapo), xiv, 185

  Knoechlein, Fritz (SS), 92–93

  Knuppelberg, Adolf (Brno Gestapo), xv

  Kidder and Kirby-Green murders, 74, 75, 78, 79, 80, 84, 89

  mural of German satyrs, 77

  whereabouts, mystery of, 161

  Kolanowski, A. Wlodzimierz (Flying Officer), viii, 172, 189, 241

  Kozlowsky, Otto (Brno Gestapo lawyer), xv, 81, 84, 161

  Kriminalpolizei (Kripo), xiv–xvi. See also Breslau (Gestapo and Kripo); Brno/Zlín (Gestapo and Kripo); Munich (Gestapo and Kripo); specific members

  Danzig (Kripo), xv, 39, 96, 97, 98, 162–170

  Gestapo vs., 17

  Grossfahndung order, 14, 36, 176, 225

  Karlsruhe (Kripo), xv, 131, 132, 133–138, 139, 141

  Kiel (Kripo), xv, 20, 22–27, 205–216, 216–217, 218–219, 220–222

  Liberec (Kripo), xvi, 100–101, 103, 104, 105

  recapture of Stalag Luft III escapees, 16–17, 18, 21, 34, 49, 96–97, 114

  Strasbourg (Kripo), xvi, 192, 193, 195, 197, 198

  Krol, Stanislaw (Flying Officer), viii, 241

  Krupa, Frantisek (crematorium attendant), 84

  Lampel, Josef (Saarbrücken Kripo), 151

  Lancaster bombers, 33

  Landhaus Brichta hotel raid, 85–86

  Langford, Patrick (Flight Lieutenant), ix, 189, 241

  Langlois (Flight Lieutenant), 245, 246

  Lauefer (Breslau Gestapo), xiv, 189

  Leigh, Thomas (Flight Lieutenant), ix, 186, 241

  Lerchesflur Prison, 149

  letters to home written by POWs, 9–10, 69, 70–71, 204

  Liberec (Gestapo and Kripo), xvi, 100–101, 103, 104, 105

  Liegnitz, Germany, 39, 41, 106, 172

  Lindeiner-Wildau, Friedrich-Wilhelm von (Colonel), 36–37, 37–38, 246

  Linke, Paul (Police Chief), 207–208

  Llandovery Castle case, 226

  London Cage

  interrogations at, 62, 63, 90–96, 110, 113, 114, 137, 140, 142, 150, 159, 170, 175, 184, 199, 212, 222, 223

  Kensington Palace Gardens, England, 62, 90, 92

  Scotland and, 91, 92, 93, 94, 185, 192–193, 212, 227–228

  torture allegations, 227–228, 229

  Long, James (Flight Lieutenant), ix, 174, 241

  Lonsky, Klaus, 48–51, 50–51

  Luftwaffe, 13, 30, 63, 73, 106, 129, 144, 149, 173, 174

  Lux (Breslau Gestapo), xiv, 177, 178, 184, 185–186, 188, 189

  Lyon, A. R. (Flight Lieutenant), xiii. See also Special Investigating Branch (SIB), RAF

  actress and, 214

  background of, 73

  Baumann interrogation, 214–216

  Blum and, 166–167

  Bowes and, 101, 103

  Clausen interrogation, 208

  Denkmann interrogation, 209–210

  discharge of, 216

  Herberg interrogation, 132–138

  internment camps canvassing, 208–209, 214

  Jacobs interrogation, 209–210, 210–211

  Kaehler interrogation, 209–210, 211–212

  killing field examined by, 83

  Kiowsky interrogation, 77–81

  Krupa and, 84

  Landhaus Brichta hotel raid, 85–86

  Linke and, 207–208

  Mueller interrogation, 208–209

  Pankratz prison atrocities, 76–77, 82

  Polish uncooperation in Breslau, 105

  Schafer and, 205–206

  Schauschütz interrogation, 74–76

  Schmidt (Franz) interrogation, 209–210

  Schmidt (Oskar) interrogation, 209–210, 210–211, 212

  Stalag Luft III visit, 106–107

  Struve interrogation, 212–213

  Tischendorf and, 206–207

  Urbanek and, 81

  Vaca and, 76–77

  winter of 1946–1947 (Germany), 213–214

  Zacharias interrogation, 227

  Zlín Gestapo headquarters and, 81–83

  Mannheim, Germany, 138, 139, 153, 154

  Manual for Military Law, 226

  maps, X-Organization, 7, 10

  Marcinkus, Romas (Flight Lieutenant), ix, 96, 162–170, 231, 241

  Marshall, Harry (Flight Lieutenant), 11

  Maryland bombers, 108

  Massey, Herbert (Group Captain), 27, 28–30, 34

  Mauthausen concentration camp, 15

  McBride (Squadron Leader), 246

  McDonald, Alastair (Flight Lieutenant), 173

  McGarr, Clement (Lieutenant), ix, 242

  McGill, George (Flight Lieutenant), ix, 189, 242

  McKenna, Francis P. (Squadron Leader), xiii. See also Special Investigating Branch (SIB), RAF

  Absalon (Gunther’s parents) and, 42–44

  Absalon (Gunther’s wife) and, 44–45

  Achterberg interrogation, 163–166

  background of, 32–33, 36, 41, 46, 63

  barbarity of Nazi Party, 216–218, 221

  Bender’s statement, 151–152

  Blackpool Borough Police, 32, 41, 232

  Blum and, 166–167

  Boschert interrogation, 140–141

  Bowes and, 72, 84, 85, 87, 100, 142, 222

  Breslau evacuees interviewees, 47, 48–51

  Bruchardt interrogation, 166–170

  cold case, 32, 33–42

  Courtney and, 62–63

  death of, 233

  Dingermann interrogation, 150–151

  dreams of, 47–48

  exhaustion of, 132

  Gmeiner interrogation, 141–142

  Herberg interrogation, 132–138, 139

  host families of evacuees and, 47, 48

  humanity view of, 138

  internment camps canvassing, 42, 45–46, 62–63, 98, 100, 109, 138, 151, 163, 176, 220

  investigation as a complex machine, 161

  jeep problems, 59–61

  Judge Advocate General’s Office and, 57–58, 63–64

  justice vs. revenge, 233, 234

  Kah and, 52–54, 58, 61–62

  Lampel interrogation, 151

  Lindeiner’s statement, 36–37, 37–38

  Lonsky and, 48–51

  Müller and, 38, 100

  Nebe and, 38, 57–58, 181–182

  Order of the British Empire, 232

  papers, protecting, 59, 60, 61

  Post interrogation, 220–221

  Preiss interrogation, 138–140

  razor wire trap incident, 180

  Russian uncooperat
ion with, 59–60, 62, 100, 180, 187, 188

  Schmidt (Fritz’s mother) and, 218–219

  Schmoll’s statement, 152–153

  Schulz (Emil’s wife) and, 156, 157, 159–160

  Schulz (Emil) interrogation, 157–160

  “Sherlock Holmes,” 33

  Smit and, 47, 57, 58, 59

  Spann’s death confirmed by, 162

  “spasmodic” quality of investigation, 219

  Taylor and, 53, 58

  Thomas and, 61

  unaccounted-for-murderers, 223

  Williams (H. J.) and, 35, 36–37, 38, 39–40, 42, 44, 45

  Zacharias interrogation, 86–89, 90, 93

  Zembrodt and, 51, 55–57

  Mehling (Dr.), 56

  memorial at Stalag Luft III, 234, 234

  Mercier, Ernest, 51–54. See also Kah, Ernst (Breslau SD)

  Merten, Hans (Nebe’s assistant), 18

  Messerschmitt fighters, 2, 108, 192

  MI9, 90

  microphones used by Germany, 2, 4, 8, 145–146

  Milford, Harold (Flight Lieutenant), ix, 173, 242

  Minden prison, 40, 87, 88, 90, 117, 124, 137, 140, 141, 153, 158, 161, 168, 200, 209, 220

  Ministry of Armed Forces of USSR, 184

  Mohr, Peter (Munich Kripo), 114–115

  Molovsky (Judge), 77

  Mondschein, Jerzy (Flying Officer), ix, 100–101, 102, 103, 104, 242

  monument at Stalag Luft III, 107

  Moosburg, Germany, 150, 151, 176

  Moravska Ostrava, Czech Republic, 67, 74, 79, 80, 83, 89

  Mueller, Erich, 208–209

  Müller, Heinrich (Gestapo SS Gruppenführer), xiv

  Cochran murder, 133, 136, 137, 192

  Gmeiner and, 141

  Hayter murder, 198

  Herberg and, 136, 137, 192

  Kaltenbrunner and, 16, 209

  McKenna and, 38, 100

  Nebe and, 18

  Panzinger and, 64

  Schauschütz and, 75

  Schimmel and, 198

  Schmid and, 182–184

  war crimes charges against, 224

  Wielen and, 230

  Muller, Jens (Lieutenant), 33

  Müller, Reinhardt (Heinrich’s son), 182–184

  Munich (Gestapo and Kripo), xvi. See also specific members

  investigation of, 38, 107, 109–114, 115–118, 121–128, 161

  justice escaped by, 219, 223, 232

  Munich, Germany, 40, 62, 64, 106, 196, 202

  mural of Gestapo satyrs, 77

  murders of escapees (fifty) by Gestapo, viii–ix, 15–16, 17, 18, 31, 41, 222, 239–243. See also Great Escape, The; Special Investigating Branch (SIB), RAF; specific murdered escapees

  Murray, Philip (Squadron Leader), 28, 30

  Mustang fighters, 204

  Narochi Vybor prison, 65

  National Socialism, 181

  Natzweiler concentration camp, xv, 38, 130, 132, 133–134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 142, 162, 197, 199

  Naville, Gabrielle (representative of Swiss Protecting Power), 30–31

  Nazi Party, xiii–xvi. See also Germany; Gestapo; Hitler, Adolf; Kriminalpolizei (Kripo); specific members

  barbarity of, 216–218, 221

  cyanide capsules for suicide, 54, 64, 232

  Nuremberg Laws, 110

  SA (“brownshirts”), 121

  Nebe, Arthur (Kripo SS Gruppenführer), xiv

  death of, 181, 232

  Diels and, 57

  Einsatzgruppen B, 181–182

  execution list by, 18, 181

  Himmler and, 181

  Hitler and, 181

  justice escaped by, 181, 232

  Kaltenbrunner and, 18

  McKenna and, 38, 57–58, 181–182

  Merten and, 18

  Müller and, 18

  recapture of Stalag Luft III escapees, 16–17, 18, 34

  war crimes charges against, 224

  Wielen and, 16–17, 34, 230

  Neely (Lieutenant), 111

  Netherlands, 33

  Neue Bremm torture camp, 153, 155

  Neuengamme internment camp, 209, 214

  Neumünster, Germany, 20, 23, 58, 61, 96

  New Zealand murdered escapees, 31. See also specific murdered escapees

  Nicholas, W. V. (Captain), 33, 35

  No. 1 Civilian Internment Camp (CIC) at Neumünster, 58, 61, 163

  No. 2 Civilian Internment Hospital at Karlsruhe, 140

  No. 4 Civilian Internment Camp (CIC) at Recklinghausen, 98

  No. 6 Civilian Internment Camp (CIC) at Moosburg, 98

  Nöelle, Wilhelm (Brno Gestapo), xiv, 75, 161–162

  Normandy invasion, 127, 217

  North Western Europe War Crimes Investigation Unit, 40, 220

  Norway, 204

  Norwegian murdered escapees, 31. See also specific murdered escapees

  Nuremberg Laws, 110

  Nuremberg Trials, 38, 57, 170, 232

  Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Army High Command), 13

  obstacles to investigation, 34, 35, 38, 40, 42, 46–47, 63, 96, 99–100, 180, 187, 188, 189

  Oehlert, Dr. (defense counsel), 227–228

  Oflag VI-B concentration camp, 14

  Oflag XIII-B concentration camp, 118–121

  Oflag XVII-A concentration camp, 14

  Ogilvie, A. Keith (Flight Lieutenant), 173, 245, 246

  Operation Bullet (Aktion Kugel), 15

  Operation Loyton, 130–131

  Order of the Blood, 221

  Order of the British Empire, 232

  Paderborn internment camp, 141

  Pancheff (Major), 73

  Pankratz prison atrocities, 76–77, 82

  Panzinger, Fritz, 64

  Patton, George S. (Lieutenant General), 119, 120

  Patzig, Helmut (Lieutenant), 226

  Pawluk, Kazimierz (Flying Officer), ix, 188, 242

  Permanent Camp for Airmen 3, 1. See also Great Escape, The; Stalag Luft III (Stammlager Luft III)

  Peters, Rudolf (Strasbourg Gestapo), 197–199

  Picard, Henri (Flying Officer), ix, 96, 162–170, 231, 242

  Pieber, Hans, 28–29, 30

  Pieber, Haputmann, 246

  Plötzensee Prison, 181

  Plunkett, Des (Flight Lieutenant), 7

  Pohe, Porokuro Patapu “Johnny” (Flying Officer), ix, 186, 242

  Pohlmann, 215, 220–221. See also Post, Johannes (Kiel Gestapo)

  Poland, 105–106, 121

  Polish breakout from Oflag VI-B, 14

  Polish murdered escapees, 31. See also specific murdered escapees

  Polish uncooperation in Breslau, 105–106

  Portugal, 34

  Post, Johannes (Kiel Gestapo), xv

  background of, 19–20, 216

  Baumann and, 214–215, 215–216

  Catanach, Christensen, Espelid, and Fuglesang murders, 22–25, 208, 209, 210–211, 212–213, 224

  Heidt (Post’s mistress), 215–216, 220

  interrogation of, 221

  Pohlmann (alias), 215, 220–221

  Sagan Case trial, 224, 225–226, 230, 231, 231

  theater and, 23, 27

  Prague, Czech Republic, 3, 52, 73, 84, 101, 103, 105, 147, 161

  Preiss, Otto (Karlsruhe Gestapo), xv

  Cochran murder, 134–135, 137, 138–140, 224

  Sagan Case trial, 224, 229, 230

  Quebec University, 82

  RAF. See Royal Air Force

  razor wire trap incident, McKenna, 180

  Reavell-Carter, Laurence (Squadron Leader), 245–247

  recaptured escapees, 17–18, 27–28, 30, 34, 36–37, 49. See also specific escapees

  recapture of Stalag Luft III escapees by Kripo, 16–17, 18, 21, 34, 49, 96–97, 114

  reconstruction of Kidder and Kirby-Green murders, 82, 82

  records, destroyed, 21, 64, 81, 117, 127, 141, 208

  Red Army, 34, 35, 47, 50, 51, 52, 64, 100, 106, 174, 187

  Red Cross, 6, 15, 2
8, 30, 67, 81, 92, 118, 144, 161, 164, 210, 212

  Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA), xiv, 16, 16n. See also Central Security Office, Berlin

  Rinteln, Germany, 39–40, 45, 46, 47, 57, 62, 87, 107, 140, 160

  Roemer, Hugo (Brno Gestapo), xiv, 74, 75, 76, 161–162, 162n

  Rogue’s Gallery, 223

  Rotenhahn Inn, 25, 207

  Royal Air Force (RAF) Investigation Team, xiii, 163, 219, 233. See also Special Investigating Branch (SIB), RAF

  Royle, Paul (Flight Lieutenant), 173

  Ruhr Valley, Germany, 27, 40, 43

  Russian Occupation Zone, 35, 39, 40, 45, 47, 56, 58–60, 87, 100, 104n, 180, 184, 187, 215, 232

  Russia/Russians (Soviet Union, USSR)

  Red Army, 34, 35, 47, 50, 51, 52, 64, 100, 106, 174, 187

  Scharpwinkel and, 51, 55–56, 57, 58, 61–62, 100, 180, 184, 185, 186–187, 188, 219, 222, 230

  uncooperation with McKenna, 59–60, 62, 100, 180, 187, 188

  SA (“brownshirts”), 121

  Saarbrücken, Germany, 38, 99, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157

  Sachsenhausen concentration camp, 187

  Sagan, Germany, 1, 4, 15, 35, 36, 38, 109, 223, 235

  Sagan Case trial, 223–231. See also Great Escape, The; Special Investigating Branch (SIB), RAF

  Boschert and, 224, 229, 230

  defense’s case, 225–230

  Geith and, 224, 229, 230

  German Military Penal Code and, 226

  Grossfahndung order, 14, 36, 176, 225

  guilty verdicts, 230

  justice, escaped, 219, 223, 232

  Llandovery Castle case and, 226

  London Cage torture allegations, 227–228, 229

  Manual for Military Law and, 226

  murders of individual POWs charges, 224, 230

  non guilty pleas of defendants, 225

  Post and, 224, 225–226, 230, 231, 231

  Preiss and, 224, 229, 230

  prosecution’s case, 225, 226, 229, 230

  Schimmel and, 224, 229–230

  Scotland and, 227–228, 229

  sentences, 230, 231, 233

  superior orders plea, 224, 225–226, 228, 229, 230

  “war crime,” 226

  war crime charges, 224, 225, 230

  Wielen and, 224, 225, 230, 233

  Zacharias and, 224, 227, 228, 230

  Salau, Artur (mortician laborer), 26, 27

  Sawerthal, Anton (cremation attendant), 103–104

  Schafer, Arthur (crematorium engineer), 26–27, 205–206

  Schäfer, Lisalotte (Oswald’s wife), 223

  Schäfer, Oswald (Munich Gestapo), xvi

  Gouws and Stevens murders, 113, 114, 117–118, 122, 126

  Hebberling and, 127–128

  justice escaped by, 161, 219, 223, 232

  Scharpwinkel, Wilhelm (Breslau Gestapo), xiv

  Breslau defense and, 174–175

  Cornish interrogation, 184–185, 185–186

  death of, 230

 

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