Beheadings in the Third Reich
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Please post the photosgraphs of Landsberg hangings in 1947-48.
Films show US MP and Officers in charge.
I have not seen three US soldier/executioners on the scaffold. I have
seen Woods and Reichhart. I have the name of Woods' assistant. I know Reichhart used
his sons to assist him. Who were these guys?
No civilians as you say are visible. But please send me a photo or two. You
Could do this by private message if you wish.
Films show US MP and Officers in charge.
I have not seen three US soldier/executioners on the scaffold. I have
seen Woods and Reichhart. I have the name of Woods' assistant. I know Reichhart used
his sons to assist him. Who were these guys?
No civilians as you say are visible. But please send me a photo or two. You
Could do this by private message if you wish.
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Three photos of Landsberg Hangings, May and Sept. 1947, Mauthausen and Dachau defendants
collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1171485
collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1171483
gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/german-nazi-war-criminal-hermann-zisch-is-held-by-two-news-photo/141563654
You will be able to see that in all three photos the three personnel on the scaffold with the condemned are US Army personnel.
Wolfguy
collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1171485
collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1171483
gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/german-nazi-war-criminal-hermann-zisch-is-held-by-two-news-photo/141563654
You will be able to see that in all three photos the three personnel on the scaffold with the condemned are US Army personnel.
Wolfguy
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
You are correct. All personnel I see are U.S. military.
No sign of Johann Reichhart.
The reason why would be speculation on my part.
The first photo does not show the executioner.
In the second, we can see a little bit of "portly" stomach of a soldier in the position a hangman would take.
In the third, two U.S. military (no insignia) hold the condemned. A third military person with rank possibly of
Master Sargent (could someone confirm?) ties the condemned's feet. Not the usual duty of the hangman but
would the others know how to do it. These condemned were hanged at 7 minute intervals. Time was short.
My conclusion is that signal corps still photos show various soldiers serving as assistants to the executioner.
Military of the same rank helped Reichhart. To find their names would be a challenge. Perhaps the author of the book you
cite got their names from records???
Based on seeing many photos of Woods, I would guess the executioner may be Master Sargent Woods.
The assistants may be MP's who handled the prisoner.
Woods used a military enlisted man named Joseph Malta. He is not present.
This execution team had a huge task over those two days.
No sign of Johann Reichhart.
The reason why would be speculation on my part.
The first photo does not show the executioner.
In the second, we can see a little bit of "portly" stomach of a soldier in the position a hangman would take.
In the third, two U.S. military (no insignia) hold the condemned. A third military person with rank possibly of
Master Sargent (could someone confirm?) ties the condemned's feet. Not the usual duty of the hangman but
would the others know how to do it. These condemned were hanged at 7 minute intervals. Time was short.
My conclusion is that signal corps still photos show various soldiers serving as assistants to the executioner.
Military of the same rank helped Reichhart. To find their names would be a challenge. Perhaps the author of the book you
cite got their names from records???
Based on seeing many photos of Woods, I would guess the executioner may be Master Sargent Woods.
The assistants may be MP's who handled the prisoner.
Woods used a military enlisted man named Joseph Malta. He is not present.
This execution team had a huge task over those two days.
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Where is this execution room ?
I never saw this photo before, although it's possible that it's collected here
I never saw this photo before, although it's possible that it's collected here
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- Guillotine.jpg (45.89 KiB) Viewed 1214 times
" The right to believe is the right of those who don't know "
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Posen(Poznań) Poland Prison Mlyńska st.
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Thanks Piotr1
" The right to believe is the right of those who don't know "
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
That is a small furnace for heating the room.
The RMJ, recommended that "hinrichtungssraum" (sp) be heated. In cold weather a fallbeills slides might freeze due to water from hosing the machine. The hose and water on the floor are also visible. The table to the left contained some tools for the fallbeil and autopsy tools. I have heard the the Posen room had shiny blue wall tile which is unusual. A short documentary film the room can be found online and there are post-war documentary photos of this room taken at the same time as well. I believe these were used as evidence during the Nuremberg Trials.
The RMJ, recommended that "hinrichtungssraum" (sp) be heated. In cold weather a fallbeills slides might freeze due to water from hosing the machine. The hose and water on the floor are also visible. The table to the left contained some tools for the fallbeil and autopsy tools. I have heard the the Posen room had shiny blue wall tile which is unusual. A short documentary film the room can be found online and there are post-war documentary photos of this room taken at the same time as well. I believe these were used as evidence during the Nuremberg Trials.
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Are there any color photos of any execution chambers before the end of the war?fredric wrote: ↑21 Jan 2021, 16:04That is a small furnace for heating the room.
The RMJ, recommended that "hinrichtungssraum" (sp) be heated. In cold weather a fallbeills slides might freeze due to water from hosing the machine. The hose and water on the floor are also visible. The table to the left contained some tools for the fallbeil and autopsy tools. I have heard the the Posen room had shiny blue wall tile which is unusual. A short documentary film the room can be found online and there are post-war documentary photos of this room taken at the same time as well. I believe these were used as evidence during the Nuremberg Trials.
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Quote: "The table to the left contained some tools for the fallbeil and autopsy tools."
fredric, with all respect, are you able to explain this a little bit further?
Thank you very much.
Hans1906
fredric, with all respect, are you able to explain this a little bit further?
Thank you very much.
Hans1906
The paradise of the successful lends itself perfectly to a hell for the unsuccessful. (Bertold Brecht on Hollywood)
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Hi Frederic
The hangman in question could not have been Master Sgt. Woods.
According to the book "American Hangman" by French MacLean, Woods's hangman career ended with the hangings of the major criminals at Nuremberg, October 1946 (p. 223).
So hangings at Landsberg in 1947 and 1948 had to have been done by someone else.
Wolfguy
The hangman in question could not have been Master Sgt. Woods.
According to the book "American Hangman" by French MacLean, Woods's hangman career ended with the hangings of the major criminals at Nuremberg, October 1946 (p. 223).
So hangings at Landsberg in 1947 and 1948 had to have been done by someone else.
Wolfguy
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
I had the honor of providing research to French MacLean for his book on Reichhart. French is a terrific researcher.wolfguy wrote: ↑22 Jan 2021, 19:41Hi Frederic
The hangman in question could not have been Master Sgt. Woods.
According to the book "American Hangman" by French MacLean, Woods's hangman career ended with the hangings of the major criminals at Nuremberg, October 1946 (p. 223).
So hangings at Landsberg in 1947 and 1948 had to have been done by someone else.
Wolfguy
He writes well on a vast number of subjects.
Let's confirm the dates when Reichhart hanged at Landsberg.
He did hang about 150 war criminals. I thought he ended this "gig" in '49 and retired, dying in 1972.
Yes, the three executioners probably were US military.
Will be fun to research this.
Re: Beheadings in the Third Reich
Okay. Please understand that I do not have the photos/film in front of me. With some research on your part, you
can find all on the Internet... I recommend starting with a search of Poznan execution room, guillotine. The entire film
was shown at the Nuremberg Trial by the Soviets. It also included shocking footage of the Danzig Anatomical Institute including
a basket of heads.
The still photos of Poznan are on the Forum site. These show the room after Posen (Poznan) fell to the Soviets. The room is a mess.
Photos of Posen Ex. Chamber can be found on pp.77-78 in the fine book "Zentrale Hinrichtungssstatten" by Waltenbacher. But I have seen other photos showing rubber gloves, autopsy instruments, etc. and the strangest of all, a large hammer which some of our learned
Forum members suggest was for assembling the fallbeil. BTW, this fallbeil I believe was dismantled, parts stolen perhaps at that time and its remains reassembled. It is part of an interesting exhibit at Fort 5? in Posen.
Now I am sure other Forum members will chime in...