Hello,
Here is an interesting article about August von Mackensen's last days in Gutshaus Burghorn near Celle:
https://found-places.blogspot.gr/2015/0 ... chall.html. Worth reading is also the book
Zwischen Kaiser und „Führer“ Generalfeldmarschall August von Mackensen. Eine politische Biographie by Theo Schwarzmüller.
Werner von Blomberg was, of course, a totally different case, as he was suffering from colorectal cancer, perhaps even years before he was taken in captivity.
Mackensen lived from 1935 on in Brüssow/Uckermark, but since during the last months of the war the Red Army was closing in, Mackensen was evacuated to Gutshaus Burghorn near Celle, a manor which was apparently requisitioned from its owner, a factory owner from Osnabrück.
The British, who had captured the area on 13.04.1945, left generally the aging Mackensen in peace and provided a guard to protect the Generalfeldmarschall from plundering. Mackensen himself knew, of course, that he was too old and was going to die anyway and awaited his impending death with piety. To his adjuntant, he told "You are watching an old man in the process of riding off". His health started to deteriorate rapidly in early November 1945 and he suffered a stroke, which left him with slurred speech and hallucinations; on 08.11.1945, he lost conciousness and died peacefully around 14:55 o'clock.
Jake
and thanks for that interesting post and photo!
