Documents of top secret probe to investigate the murders of 50 POWs who took part in the REAL Great Escape and humiliated Hitler go on sale at auction
- 76 Allied airmen broke out of Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Poland, in 1944, through a tunnel they had dug
- Hitler ordered Gestapo officers who escorted escapees back to camp to shoot them in remote woodland
- In 1945, a small top secret investigation team was set up, headed by Squadron Leader Frank McKenna, who was police detective before war
- McKenna and his team identified 72 Germans for being involved in the Great Escape murders
Remarkable top secret documents relating to the investigation into the murder of 50 prisoners of war who took part in the Great Escape have come to light.
The papers made up a dossier put together by the RAF Special Investigation Branch which had the job of finding the Germans behind the wartime atrocity.
Of the 76 Allied airmen who broke out of Stalag Luft III in 1944, 50 were later executed by the Gestapo on the direct orders of a humiliated Adolf Hitler.
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Top secret documents relating to the investigation into the murder of 50 prisoners of war who took part in the Great Escape of 1944 have come to light. Above (left to right), Peter Bergsland, Halldor Espelid, and Jens Muller pose at Stalag Luft III shortly before the 'Great Escape'. Bergsland and Muller were two of only three escapees to make it home; Espelid was one of those executed by the Gestapo
Although 73 out of the 76 men were later caught, the escape caused chaos in the German high command and 50,000 soldiers had to be deployed to search for them. Hitler gave the execution order which saw Gestapo field officers, who had the job of escorting small groups of the men back to the camp, to stop off in remote woodland and shoot them. These papers made up a dossier put together by the RAF Special Investigation Branch which had the job of finding the Nazis behind the atrocity. The documents include custody mugshot images and fingerprints of some of the suspects - including Herman Hennig (above)
A secret memo (above) sent between members of the investigation team and dated April 25, 1946 lists names of SS officers the Americans refused to release from their custody
The Great Escape, immortalised in the classic Steve McQueen film of the same name, involved dozens of Allied airmen breaking out of a PoW camp at Sagan, Poland, through a tunnel they had dug. Britain was furious at the cold-blooded killings and vowed to bring those responsible to justice after the war. The files show the difficult task the British investigators had of getting co-operation from the American authorities, which held many of the suspects following the war
In 1945, a small top secret investigation team was set up and headed by Squadron Leader Frank McKenna, who had been a police detective before the war. Their job was to identify those involved in the mass murder and bring them to justice
From left, Halldor Espelid, Nils Fuglesang, James Catenach and Arnold Christensen photographed in their escape clothes following recapture after the Great Escape. The four were then executed by the Deputy Chief of Kiel Gestapo Johannes Post. Post was subsequently caught by McKenna
Nazi hunter: The secret team was led by Frank McKenna (above)
Britain was furious at the cold-blooded killings and vowed to bring those responsible to justice after the war.
The files show the difficult task the British investigators had of getting co-operation from the American authorities, which held many of the suspects following the war.
A secret memo sent between members of the investigation team and dated April 25, 1946 lists names of SS officers the Americans refused to release from their custody.
The file states: 'The following personnel cannot be handed over to the British authorities as they are required by the American authorities... they will be handed over when their usefulness to the Americans has been served.'
To highlight the scale of the probe, another confidential document headed 'Murder of 50 RAF Officers - Stalag Luft III' details the transfer request of 63 suspects being held in the American zone of Germany.
Another document is a 'release of prisoner' order relating to a Gestapo field officer based in Breslau in Poland who was suspected of killing some of the escapees.
Bernard Pass, of Bosley's Auctioneers of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, said: 'This archive consists of between 30 and 40 documents and has come to us from a collector of military items who has decided the time is right to pass it on. 'He is not related to any of the investigation team - it is just something he has picked up over the years'
One document is a 'release of prisoner' order (left) relating to a Gestapo field officer based in Breslau in Poland who was suspected of killing some of the escapees. Part of it reads: 'It is requested the suspect, Walter Pattke, held in connection with the Stalag Luft III murders be released into the custody of Sgt Heron of this HQ in order that Pattke may be brought up for identification at Brunswick.' McKenna's team trawled through Nazi documents to find clues (such as the one, above right)
McKenna and his team identified 69 Germans for being involved in the Great Escape murders. Of these, 21 were eventually executed for the atrocity; 17 were jailed; 11 had previously committed suicide at the end of the war; seven could not be traced; six had been killed during the war; six were arrested but not charged, and three were acquitted
Robert Radcliffe, a historian and co-author of the BBC radio drama 'The Great Escape - The Justice', said: 'We have all seen the film but what isn't as well known is what happened afterwards. After the war, Germany was in turmoil - and trying to get information out of people was very hard, especially as he was RAF which had caused a lot of destruction on German cities'
One of the big clues to McKenna were the reports the various sub-officers filed after the circumstances of the shootings. 'Although they were spread over different parts of Germany and Poland, McKenna realised they had all filed identical reports because they didn't have the imagination. McKenna had been a very canny detective and was very good at interviewing suspects and sizing them up,' said Mr Radcliffe
It reads: 'It is requested the suspect, Walter Pattke, held in connection with the Stalag Luft III murders be released into the custody of Sgt Heron of this HQ in order that Pattke may be brought up for identification at Brunswick.
'As the prisoner denies taking any part in these war crimes, it is essential that some proof be obtained in order that he may legally be detained.'
Two more SS officers suspected of taking part in the executions were identified as Willi Reimer and Herbert Wenzlaff, of the Danzig Gestapo, in another document.
The fascinating papers, which also include custody mugshot images and fingerprints of some of the suspects, have emerged more than 70 years later, after they were put up for auction.
Bernard Pass, of Bosley's Auctioneers of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, said: 'This archive consists of between 30 and 40 documents and has come to us from a collector of military items who has decided the time is right to pass it on.
'He is not related to any of the investigation team - it is just something he has picked up over the years.
McKenna went to PoW camps and asked to see the suspects. As soon as some of them saw his RAF uniform, their shoulders slumped because they knew what it was he was asking about. Above, an ID photo and documenting relating to SS officer Fritz Barnekow
'By their very nature of being top secret, this sort of material is very scarce and anything official that relates to the story of the Great Escape is very sought-after. We have given this fascinating archive a pre-sale estimate of £1,200 to £1,500.'
The Great Escape, immortalised in the classic Steve McQueen film of the same name, involved dozens of Allied airmen breaking out of a PoW camp at Sagan, Poland, in 1943 through a tunnel they had dug.
Although 73 out of the 76 men were later caught, the escape caused chaos in the German high command and 50,000 soldiers had to be deployed to search for them.
Hitler gave the execution order which saw Gestapo field officers, who had the job of escorting small groups of the men back to the camp, stop off in remote woodland and shoot them.
Each hit squad had to file a report to Berlin stating the 50 men were shot while trying to escape.
In 1945, a small top secret investigation team was set up and was headed by Squadron Leader Frank McKenna, who had been a police detective before the war.
Their job was to identify those involved in the mass murder and bring them to justice.
Suspect Erich Jungmann's fingerprint file. The documents will go to auction on July 4. The archive has a pre-sale estimate of £1,200 to £1,500
Robert Radcliffe, a historian and co-author of the BBC radio drama 'The Great Escape - The Justice', said: 'We have all seen the film but what isn't as well known is what happened afterwards.
'After the war, Germany was in turmoil - and trying to get information out of people was very hard, especially as he was RAF which had caused a lot of destruction on German cities.
'But he was very dogged and he stuck to his guns. He couldn't go after the German high command because they were either dead or in custody for war crimes.
'So what he did was to go after the Gestapo out-station chiefs of the various towns where the men were caught and shot.
'One of the big clues to McKenna were the reports the various sub-officers filed after the circumstances of the shootings.
'Although they were spread over different parts of Germany and Poland, McKenna realised they had all filed identical reports because they didn't have the imagination.
'McKenna had been a very canny detective and was very good at interviewing suspects and sizing them up.
'He went to PoW camps and asked to see the suspects. As soon as some of them saw his RAF uniform, their shoulders slumped because they knew what it was he was asking about.
'Some of them tried to lie like hell but with McKenna there was no room for lying.'
McKenna and his team identified 72 Germans for being involved in the Great Escape murders.
Of these, 21 were eventually executed for the atrocity; 17 were jailed; 11 had previously committed suicide at the end of the war; seven could not be traced; six had been killed during the war; six were arrested but not charged, and three were acquitted. And one remained in refuge in East Germany.
One of those who hanged was Emil Schulz who shot Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, who organised the Great Escape and was played by Richard Attenborough in the film.
The documents will be sold on July 4.
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