Names from Hell

The final convulsions of Nazi Europe continued to cast up a collection of murderers and innocents, thieves and victims, heroes and nondescripts and mystery men such as the world has seldom seen.

The Elite. One of the charred bodies found by the Russians in Berlin was believed to be that of Martin Bormann, the last crown prince of Nazidom.

Paul Schmidt, who as chief of the German Foreign Office press relations had for years laid down the Nazi party line for foreign correspondents, was discovered at Salzburg, after living for four days in a hotel room with U.S. officers occupying rooms on either side of him.

Sepp Dietrich, who once commanded Hitler's personal bodyguard and graduated to command of the Sixth Panzer Army, was first reported killed in Vienna. later captured very much alive.

Franz von Epp, one of Hitler's original beer hall gang and later a leading Bavarian Nazi, was found in Austria.

Generals Keitel and Stumpff and Admiral Friedeburg were helping Grand Admiral Donitz perform the formalities of surrender and perpetuate the German myth (see above).

General Heinz Guderian, tank expert, at Berchtesgaden belittled U.S. tanks and Lieut. Gen. George S. Patton ("he followed the same principle that I used in Poland, France and Russia"). declared U.S. and German soldiers should shake hands and make up ("just like after a football match").

Wilhelm Frick, a roistering Munich policeman who had risen to become "protector" of Bohemia and Moravia, was a prisoner. It was Frick who, as premier of Thuringia, had conferred German citizenship on Austrian-born Adolf Hitler.

Walter Funk, president of the Reichsbank, was found in the midst of a covey of Japanese embassy personnel, which also included Ambassador Hiroshi Oshima.

The Tormentors. Edward Waiter, head of the Dachau death camp, shot himself through the heart, still lived, shot himself again through the head and died. Priests refused to touch his body.

Hans Frank, who as Nazi governor of Poland had been responsible for the death of millions, had to be forcibly restrained by his American captors from slashing his wrists.

Josef Terboven. Nazi commissioner for Norway, was said to have blown himself to bits with dynamite in an underground fortress he had ordered built at Skaugum. Crown Prince Olav's commandeered castle near Oslo.

Arthur Seyss-Inquart, whom Hitler repaid for the betrayal of Austria with appointment as Gauleiter for The Netherlands, was seized by Canadian forces.

Konrad Henlein, Gauleiter of the Sudetenland, surrendered but committed suicide immediately afterward with a razor blade which he had hidden in his cigaret

case.

The Traitors. Pierre Laval was on the point of losing his sanctuary in Spain and probably would be brought to trial in France.

Draja Mihailovich, former Yugoslav war minister, was held for trial for opposing Tito and aiding the Nazis.

Baron Gabor Kemeny, foreign minister in the Hungarian government which overthrew the Horthy regime and handed Hungary over to the Germans, was caught in a roundup of Nazi agents.

Vidkun Quisling was held in Oslo prison, reported to be suffering from megalomania.

Charles Hoff, famed pole vaulter and collaborationist director of Nazi athletics in Norway, meekly gave himself up.

Norwegian Police Chief Jonas Lie and Henrik Rogstad, chief of the Norwegian SS security police, committed suicide.

Anton Mussert, Dutch Nazi leader, was jailed at The Hague.

Leon De Grelle. Belgian Rexist leader, had fled to Spain.

The Others. Hitler's maidservant, Gertrude, found at Berchtesgaden, declared of her ex-boss: "He was a nice man, really. Of course he was mad."

At Naples a C-47 transport plane disgorged a varied party. Pastor Martin Niemoller (see RELIGION), wearing an ill-fitting suit, drank in the sights of freedom with bright eyes. Former Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg was full of bounce; he wore edelweiss in both lapels. With him were his wife, Vera, and their four-year-old daughter, Sissy, both acquired since his captivity. For cameramen. Sissy nestled snugly in the arms of a U.S. officer (see cut).

There were also: Industrialist Fritz Thyssen and his aged wife, tightly clutching a Red Cross food parcel; General Alexander von Falkenhausen, German military governor of Brussels, who said he got in trouble because he refused to Jet the Gestapo shoot accused saboteurs without trial; Alexsei Kokosin, nephew-of Soviet Foreign Commissar Molotov.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.