Globocnik suicide

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Max Williams
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Globocnik suicide

#1

Post by Max Williams » 02 Jul 2007, 23:59

I have just returned from a research trip to Trieste and Austria. I visited several locations connected to Globocnik, including the site of his suicide at Paternion. There was extensive building work being carried out at the Schloss and entry to the private castle courtyard was strictly forbidden. Not to be put off, this intrepid explorer braved the wrath of the local authorities and sneaked in when they weren't looking.
Apart from the evidence of digging and the presence of plant machinery, I was able to identify two small balconies overlooking the courtyard. It was from one of these that Major Ramsay shouted Globocnik's name which caused the suspect to "slightly move his head," giving away his true identity to Lieutenant Hedley. Globocnik was led away through a small archway and towards the lock up where the rest of his party were detained. The lock up is described as west of the castle, about 100 -150 yards distant. It was outside this building that he apparently hit his jaw with his hand, causing the glass phial secreted in his mouth to break. He collapsed immediately and died within a couple of minutes.
I searched the area immediately outside the west wall of the castle and walked about 200 yards to the west, hoping to identify the lock up. The construction work in this area was more evident than inside the courtyard and to my dismay I could find no trace of a building which could have served as the lock up within that area. I can only assume that it had fallen victim to "progress" and had been demolished.
The track, leading north out of the village in 1945 is now a modern road and it is on one side of this road that Globocnik's remains were buried in an unmarked grave. Although mostly still fields, there has been some building work carried out.
I also visited the Weissensee where Globocnik and his party were captured at the Möslacher Alm, overlooking the lake. It is still there, but not visible from the lakeside and on hearing that it would take about 2-3 hours strenuous climbing, this intrepid explorer opted for a cold beer instead.
Max.

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Helly Angel
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#2

Post by Helly Angel » 03 Jul 2007, 07:15

Hey! great and interesting adventure!!! specially: "this intrepid explorer braved the wrath of the local authorities and sneaked in when they weren't looking. " and "this intrepid explorer opted for a cold beer instead."... :) anyway... some photos please?... not about teh beer, just about the places!!! hehehe


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#3

Post by Marc Rikmenspoel » 03 Jul 2007, 08:36

I'm curious about Globocnik. I know the Gestapo Müller interview series, by "Gregory Douglas" has been discredited, but does everyone still feel that there's no chance it could be true what is claimed there regarding Globocnik, namely that he faked his suicide, and bought off his captors with some of the loot he had accumulated during the war? Supposedly, the Brits then told the world that he had killed himself, while he escaped abroad with the rest of his ill-gotten gains.

Max Williams
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#4

Post by Max Williams » 03 Jul 2007, 09:05

Marc,
The "Gregory Douglas" books have been discredited and are viewed as fiction in academic circles. In order to fake his suicide and buy off his captors, he would have had to incite several British officers, numerous other ranks and several military police personnel to join his intrigue. Not only that, but all his own party captured at the Möslacher Alm (including a number of women) remained steadfast in their stories until their own deaths that Globus killed himself at Paternion. What had they to gain many years after the war? The British officer cadre in 1945 was one of honour and honesty and although I admit it might be possible to sway one of their number, I have serious doubts that more would have fallen in with the plot. One of them was even a medical doctor. I think you can safely say that "Gregory Douglas", or whatever name he is now using, instigated a fictional plot on not only this, but other events at the end of the war by pure bending of the facts. Apparently, Paternion and Trieste are still visited by treasure seekers hoping to uncover the Globocnik treasure, which, if it did exist, probably sits in an unclaimed numbered account somewhere in Switzerland.
Max.

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#5

Post by Max Williams » 03 Jul 2007, 10:03

Here is a photo of the courtyard at Paternion Castle. As can be seen, there was much construction work being carried out at the time of my visit.
The two small balconies are the only ones in the courtyard and so it was from one of these that Major Ramsay called Globocnik's name. After giving himself away, he was led out through the small arch just visible behind the pile of earth. This leads to the outside of the west perimeter and the now non-existent path upon which he killed himself some 100 to 150 yards distant from the arch.
Max.
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Max Williams
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#6

Post by Max Williams » 03 Jul 2007, 10:12

A view of Paternion village taken from the road (track in 1945), looking south back to the village. The Schloss can just be seen behind the church. Globocnik's body was unceremoniously buried in one of the meadows on either side of this road, further back behind the photographer. There are some new houses and a new school built upon the likely sites.
Max.
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Michael Miller
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#7

Post by Michael Miller » 03 Jul 2007, 14:36

Thanks very much for sharing your experiences and pictures, Max. Only wish I could have been there myself.

And a nice, succinct job of explaining the non-feasibility of a Globus escape.

~ Mike

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#8

Post by steve248 » 03 Jul 2007, 17:20

On the evening of 29 May 1945 4th Queen's Own Hussars captured two SS men - Siegfried Kummerer and ??? Schutz - at Stockenboi on the Wiederschwing (Austria). Kummerer told them during interrogation on 30 May that a SS-Gruf, 3 SS-Stubaf, another SS man and two women "were hiding in a hut on the Mosslacher Alm".

At 2200 on 30 May, 5 officers and 12 men from 4th Q O H left Paternion.
The party arrived at said hut at 0430 (30 May) and surrounded it. At 0510 (now 31 May 1945) the Q O H men made a forced entry into the hut and arrested 8 men and 2 women. All the arrested persons were brought down to Paternion.

At 1130 on 31 May Globocnik was trapped into acknowledging his name and within moments bit the cyanide capsule "concealed in his mouth". The body was identified as Globocnik at 1200 by "Michaelson", "Hoffle" and Hellesberger.

The 8 men arrested at Mosbacher Alm were
Gauleiter & SS-Ogruf Dr Friedrich Rainer
SS-Gruf "Glovocnik" (Odilo Globocnik)
SS-Stubaf "Michaelson" (Georg Michalsen)
SS-Stubaf Ernst Lerch
SS-Stubaf "Hoffle" (Herman Höfle)
SS-Oschaf Karl Hellesberger (SS service in Trieste)
Kreisleiter & Gaurichter Hugo Herzog
Kreis Propagandaleiter Plöb

The 2 women were not named, but they were arrested.

source: War Diary/Intelligence Summary, 4th Queen's Own Hussars for May 1945.

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Michael Miller
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#9

Post by Michael Miller » 03 Jul 2007, 17:28

From "Globus" bio in Leaders of the SS & German Police, Volume I:
Postwar Flight, Capture, and Suicide:
For approximately two weeks in early 05.1945, Globocnik was in hiding, probably in the Wörthersee region to the west of Klagenfurt. The British author Gitta Sereny states Globocnik hid for a time in the home of Gauleiter Rainer. Some time after 05./06.05.1945, Globocnik moved further west to the Karavanken Alps, in the area of the Weisensee. There he concealed himself in the mountain hut of a shepherd, together with Dr. Rainer, members of his own staff, and others fugitives. Numerous accounts exist of Globocnik’s ultimate fate, but the most reliable is probably found in Joseph Poprzeczny’s Odilo Globocnik- Hitler’s Man in the East (2004) which relies on original British military records as well as the postwar testimony and reminiscences of eyewitnesses. In 05.1945, the Queen’s Own Fourth Hussars was located in southern Kärnten, with headquartes in the police station of Paternion in the Drau Valley. According to the regimental “War Diary or Intelligence Summary”, entries from 29.05.1945 – 31.05.1945, SS-Oberscharführer Siegfried Kummerer (one of two SS men captured by elements of the regiment on 29.05.1945), informed his interrogators that a group of SS men and 2 women could be found in a hut on the Moeslacher-Alm. An expedition party was assembled consisting of Major Alexander Ramsay (SAS), Captain Peter Quarmby, MC, Captain Guy Wheeler, Lieutenant Kenneth Hedley, and Lieutenant Ken Birkett with 12 other ranks. They arrived at the hut at approximately 0430 hours on 31.05.1945 and surrounded it at 0500 hours. At 0510, Major Ramsay opened the front door while Quarmby and Hedley forced the rear. Found in the hut were Gauleiter Dr. Rainer, Globocnik, SS-Sturmbannführer Georg Michalsen, SS-Sturmbannführer Ernst Lerch, SS-Sturmbannführer Hermann Höfle, SS-Oberscharführer Karl Hellseberger, Kreisleiter [of Villach] / Gaurichter [Hugo] Herzog, Kreispropagandaleiter Friedrich Plöb, and 2 female employees. The men were arrested and transported to Schloss Paternion. According to a letter by Major Hedley to the British Foreign Office, dated 04.01.1965, all the prisoners but Globocnik were “locked up”, as “Globus” had nearly convinced Major Ramsay that he he was just “a poor merchant from Klagenfurt.” As Globocnik paced the yard of the castle in Paternion, SS-Oberscharführer Kummerer insisted he was no merchant but the infamous SS leader. Majors Hedley and Ramsay then devised a scheme to verify Kummerer’s claim. Ramsay “sharply shout[ed] out the name Globocnik while I [Hedley] watched the captive’s reaction very closely. When the name was called Globocnik’s step never faltered, but his head moved fractionally. I shouted to him (in German) “you have given yourself away, you moved your head very slightly” and ordered [Sergeant Provost] Sowler to add him to the gang in the lockup.” While being escorted to the “lockup”, Globocnik protested his innocence and at approximately 1125 hours, he bit down on the cyanide phial he’d concealed under his tongue. The regimental medical officer, Captain Morris Leigh, RAMC, unsuccessfully attempted to revive Globocnik, who died at approximately 1130 hours. Following his death, the other SS men present confirmed that the corpse was that of Globocnik. He was buried in an unmarked grave by regimental police under the direction of Captain Guy Wheeler.

Best,
~ M i k e

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#10

Post by Peter » 03 Jul 2007, 19:33

Excellent material, thanks for sharing Max

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#11

Post by von Putzbrunn » 04 Jul 2007, 09:52

If Globocnik really did kill himself as the allies claim, and if buildings are now standing where he was supposedly burried, where is his body now?

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#12

Post by Georg_S » 04 Jul 2007, 10:10

If they have found his body during construction, he is probably buried at a cemetary as unknown, if they have udnerstoid that he was a soldier, in othe rcases if they think he is a ordinary civilian , I am not sure what they do with remians of a civilian, but most possible is that he is pu into rest at a cemetary. But not in an official grave.

Bets reg.

Georg

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#13

Post by Max Williams » 04 Jul 2007, 10:11

Eichmann wrote:If Globocnik really did kill himself as the allies claim, and if buildings are now standing where he was supposedly burried, where is his body now?
Please provide your alternative argument with evidence in support.
Max.

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#14

Post by Eddy Marz » 04 Jul 2007, 11:03

Hi all ;
I don’t think there’s any doubt about Globocnik’s suicide, as 'Eichmann's' use of « as the Allies claim » seems to imply. There are, admitedly, different accounts of it – all from witnesses, close or far – and varying slightly ; a normal state of affairs as the reading of any court proceeding, affidavit, testimony invariably proves (or else trials and inquiries would be simple affairs). That being said :

- « He committed suicide by poisoning at about 11 :30 hours the same day (of his capture), outside the small prison, 100 yards west of the schloss at Paternion, when he had been positively identified. He was certified as dead by Captain M.M. Leigh who made every attempt to revive him. His body was seen by Dr. Friedrich Rainer – sometime Gauleiter of Carinthia – and the following members of his staff : SS Sturmbannführers Lerch, Höfle, Michalsen and SS Oberscharführer Hellesberger. He was buried in the presence of Captain G.P.M.C. Wheeler, 4th Queen’s Own Hussars, by members of the Regimental Police. »
(Major Kenneth Hedley – Q.O. 4th Hussars « C » Squadron : Statement 16 January 1949 – Spittal)

- « While Hedley had kept Globocnik in casual conversation, Major Ramsay, who had suspected the civilian to be lying about his identity, suddenly called out his name. Globocnik half turned, then realizing he had betrayed himself, bit on the poison phial which he had concealed in his mouth some time beforehand – and was probably the reason why he refused coffee – collapsed and, despite the best efforts of our regimental surgeon, died very quickly. We received no orders on the disposal of the corpse, so, after it had been identified and there appeared no further use for it, I ordered Sergeant Sowler to bury it in a grave, dug for that purpose by the Regimental Police, in one of the small fields lying on both sides of a path leading from behind the RHG building. This was done, and the turf replaced to conceal the grave. Sergeant Fowler asked if a cross should be put on the grave. I said I thought it would be inappropriate in this case. »
(Brigadier Guy Wheeler ; Regimental Adjudant of Q.O. 4th Hussars : Statement to Foreign Office ; May 1990)

- «He betrayed himself by half answering a summons shouted in his real name and was thereupon told that we knew who he was […] Still protesting his innocence he was marched away, but he had gone only some 150 yards when he collapsed and quietly died from hydrocyanic poisoning. […] all prisonners were searched for poison, and one ampule was discovered on SS Sturmbann führer Lerch. […] Rainer later confirmed that the dead man was in fact Globocnik. »
(Major Alexander Ramsay : N° 6 Special Force Staff Section, attached to 5 Corps (8th Army) for rounding up of senior Nazis – Undated report).

A pic of the path at Paternion, and of the performers : Globocnik on the ground, Stubaf. Höfle facing the camera, Stubafs Michalsen and Lerch behind him.

Cheers
Eddy Marz
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Max Williams
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#15

Post by Max Williams » 04 Jul 2007, 15:43

Eichmann wrote:If Globocnik really did kill himself as the allies claim, and if buildings are now standing where he was supposedly burried, where is his body now?
I'm still interested in evidence of the alternative. Eichmann clearly has differing views on the Globocnik suicide, so I'd like him to explain and provide evidence in support of his claim.
Max.

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