Archive/File: imt/nca/supp-b/nca-sb-02-kaltenbrunner.17 Last-Modified: 1997/11/24 Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression, Supplement B Shooting of Prisoners of War Excerpts from Testimony of Ernst Kaltenbrunner, taken at Nurnberg, Germany, 10 November 1945, 1430- 1545, by Lt. Col. Smith W. Brookhart, IGD. Also present: John Albert, Interpreter; Frances Karr, Reporter. Q. Don't you recall who had charge of the military administration in prisoner of war camps? A. No. Q. Do you know General Berger of the SS? A. Yes, I knew him. Q. You will recall General Berger had the administration of [Page 1321] prisoner of war camps under the SS from 1 October 1944 to the end. A. I think that is incorrect because the prisoner of war camps were not put under the SS but Himmler, as the Chief of the German Replacement Army, was put in charge of all matters concerning war prisoners. Q. And in turn, General Berger of the SS, acting as Himmler's deputy by direct order of Hitler, was put in charge of the PW camps? A. It is correct that Berger was the general deputy of Himmler because he was Chief of the SS Chief Office. That such an order was signed by Hitler, is unknown to me. But I know that Berger repeatedly represented Himmler in questions of war prisoners. Q. How did that come to your attention? A. One discussed such matters. Q. Well, tell us about the procedure where, when prisoners escaped from prisoner of war camps, they were turned over to the Secret Police, and what was done with them thereafter. A. They were not turned over to the Gestapo but were given back to the War Prisoners' Office. Q. You remember the case of the 80 British flyers who escaped from Stalag Luft 3, that took place in March 1944? A. That case is unknown to me. Q. Don't you remember what Hitler said should have been done to these men? A. No. Q. Then some of the army officials said that they could not violate the Geneva convention? A. No. Q. But your police reported to General Keitel that 50 of them had already been shot? A. No. Q. Don't you remember the reports you got from the camp commander at Goerlitz? A. No. Q. I am sure that was an important enough event to come to your attention. They took them outside the camp to shoot them and then cremated them later. A. You tell me things I do not know. Q. General Westhoff attempted to find out from the Gestapo what had happened to these men. A. If he had negotiations with the Gestapo he did not negotiate with me. [Page 1322] Q. Are you sure? A. Yes. Q. You deny knowledge of these 80 British flyers, British prisoners, having been captured and turned over to the State Police? What do you say about the general proposition that the escaped prisoners were turned over to the Gestapo? A. Such cases are not known to me and in any case, it is incorrect. I would like to call your attention to the following fact. You talk now as if always war prisoners, who escaped and were recaptured, would be turned over to the Secret State Police. At another point you believe Herr Warlimont when this man says they were turned over to the SD. There is a discrepancy. Q. You said that meeting never took place. A. I only said now you believe Mr. Warlimont when he says -- Q. What I believe has no bearing on my question to you wherein I state a fact, as I am about to state, that over 600 American prisoners were found in a Gestapo concentration camp. A. That I do not know. That only should have been done on order from Himmler to the Gestapo. I had nothing to do with such orders.
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