Tapping Hitler's Generals

Born Bobeck, Thuringia, 26.2.1902. Prot. WWI: 15.10.1917 NCO, Training School, Weilburg. Reichswehr: With Inf.Reg.17; 1.4.1939 Major; 15.7.1939 1a Gen. Staff, 29.Inf.Div. (mot.). WWII: 1.4.1941 Oberstleutnant; 24.7.1941 awarded Knight’s Cross; 1.1.1942–30.9.1942 Chief General Staff various Armee and Panzer Korps, Eastern Front; 1.7.1942 Oberst; August 1942 sentenced to two years’ imprisonment postponed to end of the war (officer of his Staff was shot down behind Russian lines carrying plans for 1942 summer offensive in south); 1.10.1942–15.2.1943 Chief General Staff, Afrika Korps; from 1.9.1944 CO, 256.Inf.Div.; 1.12.1944 Generalmajor; end March 1945 notified of new court martial (lost contact with his Division, Rhein-Main area), 8.4.1945 sought out US forces and surrendered at Birnfeld; 5.5.1945–5.7.1945 Trent Park. Repatriated 15.5.1948. Died Bad Wildungen, 24.12.1975.

CSDIC (UK) opinion: ‘He gave the impression of being a man of above-average intelligence and a strong and outspoken anti-Nazi.’

GENERALMAJOR PAUL GOERBIG

Born Saarbrücken, 23.5.1895. Prot. WWI: 8.8.1914 entered Army, pioneer and mortar units; finally Leutnant and Comp. Cdr, Minenwerferbataillon 23. Reichswehr: Mortar and mechanised units; 2.10.1938 Oberstleutnant. WWII: 10.11.1939 CO, Pz.Abt.67; from 1.11.1939 General Army Office; 1.9.1941 Oberst; 1943/44 Feldkommandant, 509, Russia; 1.4.1944 Generalmajor; 1945 CO, Sennelager Military Training Depot; 10.4.1945 PoW Bad Grund (US); 29.4.1945 Trent Park. Repatriated 1947. Died Hamburg, 17.8.1974.

Following an anonymous accusation not proceeded with, the February 1943 character assessment considered Goerbig thus: ‘Oberst G. is a very judicious, very shrewd, very well-disposed and perhaps rather mercantile-motivated man (to say trafficker would be going too far) who does favours willingly, enjoys the good life, is a good friend to everybody and by his manner at the present time could easily uplift the people’s spirits…’

CSDIC (UK) opinion: ‘He is looked upon by officers in touch with him before his arrival at No. II Camp as a smooth, untrustworthy type, endowed with more shrewdness than intelligence and determined to treat his captors courteously in the hope of obtaining some personal advantage.’

GENERALMAJOR ALFRED GUTKNECHT

Born Badingen/Stendal, 20.6.1888. Prot. Entered Army 19.3.1908. WWI: April 1914–November 1917 Comp. Cdr police troops, German East Africa; 28.11.1917 PoW (British). Reichswehr: 1920 joined German police; 16.6.1936 transferred to Army; 1.4.1936 Oberst; from April 1938 passed over for promotion. WWII: 3.10.1939–5.3.1940 Staff Officer, Grenzabschnittskommando Nord (border command), various appointments as Senior Officer, Transport including Staff Officer, AOK 16 (West); 1.7.1942 Generalmajor; from 20.9.1942 Senior Cdr, Transport Troops, West; 29.8.1944 PoW between Reims and Soissons (US); 5.9.1944–25.10.1944 Trent Park, apparently repatriated and in April 1945 employed as Motor Managerial Inspector with Oberbefehlshaber Süd. Suicide, Berlin, 12.11.1946.

CSDIC (UK) opinion: ‘PoW seemed to be no fervent Nazi, nor to be very politically minded, but just a patriotic German who realised the hopelesssness of Germany’s war situation and who was therefore anxious to see an end made of the present useless sacrifice of lives, even if Germany must sue for peace. He strongly condemns atrocities.’

GENERALMAJOR DR RICHARD HABERMEHL

Born Lauter/Hessen, 19.11.1890. Prot. WWII: From 1.8.1939 ministerial adviser and Generalmajor, Luftwaffe, President of Reich Meteorological Office; 14.4.1945 PoW Hanau (US), from 9.5.1945 Trent Park. Repatriated 17.5.1948.

CSDIC (UK) opinion: ‘In conversation before his arrival at No. II Camp he has expressed anti-Nazi and anti-militarist views.’

GENERALMAJOR LUDWIG HEILMANN

Born Würzburg, 9.8.1903. RC. Reichswehr: 3.2.1921 volunteered Army, 12-year contract NCO career; Inf.Reg.21; 3.2.1933 discharged on completion, Feldwebel and Platoon Leader; 1.7.1934 reactivated in rank of Oberleutnant. WWII: 17.6.1940 Comp. Cdr, infantry regiments, finally Inf.Reg.423; 1.8.1940 Major, transferred to Luftwaffe (paratroop arm) and until 14.11.1942 CO, III./Fallschirmjäger-Reg.3, operations in Crete and Soviet Union; 14.6.1941 awarded Knight’s Cross; 1.4.1942 Oberstleutnant; 1.12.1943 Oberst; 15.11.1942–16.11.1944 CO, Fallschirmjäger-Reg.3, inter alia defence Monte Cassino; 2.3.1944 awarded Oak Leaves; 15.5.1944 awarded Swords; 17.11.1944–5.3.1945 CO, 5.Fallschirmjäger-Div.; 22.12.1944 Generalmajor; 12.4.1945 PoW Adenau; 15.4.1945 Trent Park. Repatriated August 1947. Died Kempten/Allgäu, 26.10.1959.