Oberstleutnant d.R. Erich Killinger (1893-1977)

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drmessimer
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Oberstleutnant d.R. Erich Killinger (1893-1977)

#1

Post by drmessimer » 23 Jan 2005, 02:13

Can someone tell me if Fähnrich der Kaiserlichen-Marine Erich Killinger is the Oberstleutnant der Luftwaffe Erich Killinger whom the British tried for war crimes at Wuppental [Case #19], 16 November-3 December 1945?
The Former was the only German POW to escape from Siberia during WWI and the latter was the commanding officer at DulagLuft near Oberusal. Dwight R. Messimer

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#2

Post by David Thompson » 23 Jan 2005, 05:41

drmessimer -- Here is what I have on the defendant Killinger, taken from the report of his trial posted on Dr. Stuart D. Stein's Web Genocide Documentation Centre website, at:

Trial of Erich Killinger and four others
http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/killinger.htm

Killinger, Erich (c. 1894-?) [Luftwaffe Oberst] -- service, Dulag Luft interrogation center at Oberursel (Auswertestelle West) {arrested and put on trial 26 Nov-3 Dec 1945 by a British military tribunal at Wuppertal on charges of mistreating British POWs between 1 Nov 1941-15 Apr 1945; convicted and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment 3 Dec 1945 (NYT 4 Dec 1945:13:6; Law-Reports of Trials of War Criminals, The United Nations War Crimes Commission, Volume III p. 67, London, HMSO. 1948).}

You are probably already familiar with the posting on Dr. Stein's site, and the New York Times article in my scrapbooks didn't have any additional information on the fellow. I'll transfer this thread over to the ABR section, which has some very knowledgable readers who may be able to give additional help. You'll be able to track the thread once I move it by clicking on the caption "shadow" left here.
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Peter H
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#3

Post by Peter H » 23 Jan 2005, 08:57

I think we are talking about the one and the same man here.

Killinger's date of birth was the 21st November 1893,hence he would have been 52 in 1945.Post 1918 Killinger continued to serve in the navy until early 1920,retiring with the rank of Oberleutnant zur See He then lived in the Dutch East Indies until 1922,then as a salesman in Japan/China until 1925.In 1928 he began his association with Junkers as an aviation salesman in Spain.In 1931 he worked for Armstrong Siddeley in Berlin.His book about his WW1 experiences was published in 1934.Later an employee of the Reich Finance Ministry and German air traffic authority.Appointed a Luftwaffe Oberstleutnant der Reserve in 1937.

drmessimer
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Erich Killinger

#4

Post by drmessimer » 23 Jan 2005, 18:14

First: David Thompson, thank you for the quick reply and the information. I have visited the Genocide Documentation Center website and another that provided essentially the same information, but emphasized US B-24 aircrews that were POWs in Oberusal.

Next: Thank you Peter H. for the very useful information. Could you please provide the source[s] for that information? I wrote to the Deutsche Dienststella some time ago, but have not yet reveived an answer. They are slow and it is possible that the date of birth I provided, 21 March 1893 was incorrect, since the date you provided is 21 November 1893.

Now: I still need biographical information on Erich Killinger from 1893 to 1914 and 1920 until his death. I do not know in what year he died. I have read his personal and official correspondence for the years 1916-1918, but they say nothing about the years prior to August 1914. If anyone can provided even the slightest information about Erich Killinger, I will appreciate it.

An last: I have his book, Flucht um de Erde, and I have ordered a copy of Erich Killinger, Heinz Junge, Otto Boehringer, Heinrich Eberhardt, Gustave Bauer-Schlichtegr, which is about their trial in 1945. Can anyone suggest additional published information sources for Erich Killinger?

Thank you. Dwight R. Messimer

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Peter H
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#5

Post by Peter H » 24 Jan 2005, 00:45

Dr,
Details on Killinger 1893-28 can be found here:

http://www.reisegeschichte.de/geschich/flucht6.htm#kap6
Erich Killinger
* 21.11.1893 in Schönau im badischen Wiesental. Sein Vater Emil war Geheimer Regierungsrat, seine Mutter hieß Elisabeth Helfrich. Er besuchte das humanistische Gymnasium, machte das Abitur am Kings College in London, studierte Jura und Nationalökonomie an den Universitäten in Heidelberg, Hamburg und Berlin. 1913 trat er in die kaiserliche Marine ein und war bis Frühjahr 1914 auf der SMS Vineta in Westindien und Südamerika unterwegs. Vom August 1914 bis März 1915 flog er Einsätze in der Ostsee, wurde dann abgeschosssen und geriet in russische Gefangenschaft. Es folgten Flucht und Heimkehr und von 1916 bis zum Kriegsende war er Marineflieger in Flandern. 1920-22 besuchte er Java und Sumatra, 1925 China und Japan. Er blieb ledig und wohnte 1928 in Heidelberg (Anlage 45).

(1.) Flucht um die Erde. Abenteuer des Ostseefliegers im Weltkrieg. Berlin: Ullstein 1934. 12,5x19,5cm, OLn, 225p, ca. 20 Abb a. 16 Tfll, Abb. i. Text


The SMS Vineta mentioned was a cadet training ship:

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/sms_vineta.htm


Also his career was discussed on Wehrmacht-Awards.com in 2003:

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ ... hp?t=22623

Here his date of birth is given as the 21 March 1893.


Regards,
Peter

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Erich Killingen

#6

Post by drmessimer » 24 Jan 2005, 03:32

Peter: Thanks again for the very useful information. I used the links you provided to access a person who apparently has an excellent sorce for information about Erich Killinger. Dwight R. Messimer

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#7

Post by Larry D. » 24 Jan 2005, 14:55

drmessimer -

"If anyone can provided even the slightest information about Erich Killinger, I will appreciate it."

In the spirit of the above, here is a small tidbit:

KILLINGER, Erich. 03.41 Maj., trf from Stab/Lg.Kdo. Westfrankreich to Stab/Kü.Fl.Gr. 506.

In appears from the above that he tried to get back into his old Marineflieger job, but then perhaps the Luftwaffenpersonalamt decided he was too old for that so in November 1941 they appoint him Kommandant of Kgf. DULAG Oberursel. But on what basis? Was he fluent in English? It seems like a stretch.

I have a question for you: are we sure that we are not dealing with two different people with the same name here?

--Larry

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Erich Killinger

#8

Post by drmessimer » 24 Jan 2005, 16:59

Larry: Thank you for a very valuable piece of information. You have seen the problem--I am not sure that Erich Killinger the WWI Fähnrich is also the WWII Oberstleutbnant. I also have two dates of birth; 21 March 1893 and 21 November 1893. My guess is that they are the same man but I cannot be sure at this time. The WWI Fähnrich spoke English and French fluently. If the WWII Oberstleutnant spoke English fluently, then that would tend to indicate that they are one and the same. Thanks again for the information. Dwight R. Messimer

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Erich Killinger

#9

Post by drmessimer » 27 Jan 2005, 02:19

Those of you who generously provided information might be interested in the results of my further research regarding Erich Killinger. The following information is accurate and the sources are provided.

Erich Killinger was born on 21 March 1893 in Schönau near Wiesental in Baden. [Ehrenrangliste, 1914-18, p. 430, Bibliothek für Zeitgeschichte, Stuttgart; and Personalunterlagen für Erich Killinger, 1913-1920 and 1937-1945, Deutsche Dienststelle [WASt], Berlin]

The Erich Killinger, who was an observer in Seefliegerabteilung I, based at Putzig and Memel in 1915, is the same Erich Killinger who, as a Luftwaffe Oberstleutnant, was tried and convicted of war crimes in 1945. [Personalunterlagen für Erich Killinger, 1913-1920 and 1937-1945, Deutsche Dienststelle [WASt], Berlin]

Erich Killinger wrote two books:
Die Abenteuer des Ostfliegers, Berlin: Ulstein, 1917.
Flucht um die Erde, Berlin: Im Deutschen Verlag, 1934.

Killinger entered the Marineschule Mürwik on 1 April 1913 as a Seekadett in Crew IV/13. He underwent basic infantry training from 1 April to 15 May, followed by a 10.5 month deployment aboard the school cruiser, SMS Vineta in the Caribbean and South America. The ship returned to Mürwik on 25 March 1914, and on 1 April 1914 Killinger started the academic portion of the officer training program. On 3 April he was promoted to Fähnrich zur See. [Press- und Informationszentrum der deutschen Marine, Flensburg]

Normally the members of Crew IV/13 would have received their Leutnant zu See commissions on 1 April 1915. But because of the war, they all received their commissions on 18 September 1915—except Killinger who was by then a POW in Russia. He received his commission on 8 February 1916 [Press- und Informationszentrum der deutschen Marine, Flensburg]

Following the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914, the Marineschule was temporarily closed and all the midshipmen were sent home on leave prior to assignment to High Sea Fleet units. In August 1914 Killinger was assigned to SMS Berlin, one of three old light cruisers assigned to the III Hafenflottilla based in Wilhelmshaven. [Ehrenrangliste, 1914-18, p. 430, Bibliothek für Zeitgeschichte, Stuttgart; Groos, Otto and Walter Gladisch, eds. Der Krieg in der Nordsee, 7 vols., Vol. 1, Von Kriegsbeginn bis Anfang September 1914, Berlin: E. S. Mittler & Sohn, 1922; & Press- und Informationszentrum der deutschen Marine, Flensburg]

In September 1914 he was assigned as an observer trainee at Marineflieger Beobachterschule at Johannistal, Berlin. There he was teamed up with his pilot, Leutnant zur See Karl von Gorrissen. [Ehrenrangliste, 1914-18, p. 430, Bibliothek für Zeitgeschichte, Stuttgart & Press- und Informationszentrum der deutschen Marine, Flensburg]

From November 1914 to 25 March 1915, Killinger was assigned to Seefliegerabteilung I at Putzig. During November Killinger and von Gorrissen were overseeing the conversion of the former British freighter SS Glyndwr to a seaplane tender.

From December 1914 to March 1915 Killinger was undergoing training aboard the SMS Glyndwr in Danzig. The seaplane tender was training pilots and observers for reconnaissance, and experimenting with searching for submarines in the Danzig Bay. Immediate deployment to the front was delayed to allow time for developing this new type of floating sea base operation. [Heinrich Rollmann, Der Krieg in der Ostsee, Band II, Berlin: E. S. Mittler & Sohn, 1929, pp. 32-35]

In late March 1915 the SMS Glyndwr with four seaplanes moved up to Memel where Killinger and von Gorrissen made their first operational flight on 28 March 1915. On 6 April 1915 their airplane suffered a propeller hub failure that caused the propeller to separate from the aircraft, damaging a float as it spun off. Von Gorrissen crashed at sea where the Russians took him and Killinger prisoner. [Heinrich Rollmann, Der Krieg in der Ostsee, Band II, Berlin: E. S. Mittler & Sohn,1929, pp. 32-35; and “Bericht des Leutnants zur See Killinger über seine Gefangennahme in Russland und Flucht aus Siberien,” 11 March 1916, Bundesarchiv, Militärarchiv, Freiburg]

And this historical footnote:
At about noon on 6 April 1915 SMS Lübeck received word that airplane, Kiel-51, was overdue and presumed down. The captain immediately ordered the “Neufahrwasser” auxiliary minesweeping division to break off their work and proceed north in line abreast to search for the missing airplane. The Lübeck and the Glyndwr also started north, searching farther out to sea. Shortly before dark one of the “Neufahrwasser” trawlers spotted the wrecked airplane still afloat. The trawler took the wreck aboard but found no sign of the crew. [Heinrich Rollmann, Der Krieg in der Ostsee, Band II, Berlin: E. S. Mittler & Sohn, 1929, p. 35]

There is still much more research to be done and there are several unanswered questions. For example, can anyone confirm that Karl von Gorrissen, who was born on 4 August 1888, died on 17 July 1918? And does anyone know how and where he died? I assumed that he died in the prison camp, but according to one unconfirmed German source he was a Kapitänleutnant when he died and the place of his death is List, which is on the north end of Sylt. Dwight R. Messimer

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#10

Post by Larry D. » 27 Jan 2005, 17:03

Thanks for the follow-up, D.R.M. If you discover any further details regarding his Luftwaffe career from around 1938 to 1941, please let us (me) know so I can update my notes on him for the World War II period.

Regards,

--Larry

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Erich Killinger

#11

Post by drmessimer » 27 Jan 2005, 17:39

Larry: I will certainly let you know whatever I find regarding Killinger's WWII history. The National Archives has told me that Killinger did not join the NSDAP, which was a lead I was following. So, officially, he was never a Nazi.
I have learned that Karl von Gorrissen was released from the Russian POW camp in February 1918 and returned to Germany in March. He was assigned to a naval aviation unit at Wärnemunde and on 17 July 1918 his aircraft experienced a mechanical problem 2 kilometers off List on Sylt that caused it to crash in the sea, killing von Gorrissen. Dwight R. Messimer

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#12

Post by Peter H » 28 Jan 2005, 03:46

drmessimer,
Thanks for the further information on Killinger.

This website on Dulag Luft has a photo titled Kommandants.Perhaps Killinger is the one on the left?

http://www.b24.net/pow/dulag.htm

Image
http://www.b24.net/pow/images/Kommandants.jpg

Regards,
Peter

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Erich Killinger

#13

Post by drmessimer » 28 Jan 2005, 04:50

Peter: Yes, that is Killinger on the left. Who is the the guy on the right, and where did you find the photo? Dwight R. Messimer

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#14

Post by Peter H » 28 Jan 2005, 09:21

Dwight,
As per this website:

http://www.b24.net/pow/dulag.htm

But it doesn't mention who the second guy is.

Regards,
Peter

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Erich Killinger

#15

Post by drmessimer » 29 Jan 2005, 15:21

Does anyone know if Erich Killinger was married? If he was, that would open a new research avenue. Thanks. Dwight R. Messimer

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