General Kussin death in 1944

[PF]

General Kussin was killed in MArket Gardin when his staff car ran into a British roadblock.
(photo in C. Ryan "A Bridge too far" showing General body fallen out of car)
In a popular history of World War II (Time Life)series-on a chapter on Operation Market Garden there was a photograph of a German Corp. body who had fallen out a staff officer car -driver's side-had two rifles on body (posed?). (For reference only)
Was this the Driver of Kussin's car?
I think at least 3 German Generals were killed when there Staff Cars ran into Allied roadblocks or were machingunned by aircraft.
Ant commets?

[Kameraden]

Don't know about that picture.
However i do have one of Kussin's corpse.
He has actually been scalped so severely that you can see his brain.

[jopaerya]

Hi All

There are a few pictures , one there are both , Gen. Kussin stripped
of his collars and the driver (Gefreiter) dead in the car and there are pictures
when the 2 dead persons are lying outside the car .

Regards Jos

[Königstiger]

There is much doubt about the fate of Kussin.

Here's are the pictures:

[jopaerya]

Hi All

Here the picture of Gen. Kussin and the Gefeiter death in the car ,
I think somebody must pull them out of the car .

Photo = Arnhem 1944 J. Piekalkiewicz

Regards Jos

[Reader3000]

Horrible angle of his knee in the second photo

[PF]

Yes-the 2nd photo shown-was in Time-Life History-I figured it must have been Kussin staff
car-in the accounts I've read of Market Garden-it was the only time staff car mentioned being
shot up.--the last picture must be how they were first found and then the friver's body must have been posed--trying to convince the Public back home how Kussin & driver killed in a
"glorisly" Futile firefight--when they died through a combination of ignoring advice to avoid
main road and bad luck--Wilhelm Falley of the German 91st Landing Division-died in nearly
the same identical circumstances during the Normandy Invasion when his staff car ran into
a Allied roadblock.
Even the "Desert fox" Rommel was not immune-his staff car was shot up by an allied
aircraft on the road-resulting in Rommel receiving bad head injures.

[ignacioosacar]

What was his real job ?
I have read that he was the Area Garrison Commander
Did he actually had the two SS Divisons under his command for tactical operations or just for garrison duties?
His biography is not very impressive at all. Comparatively few decorations, being a General.
He had even been in the Fuehrer reserve list.
Looks as he was eager to meet his fate.

Cheers

[ignacioosacar]

I just read the scalping theory which I do not agree.

He was sitting when he received a bullet in the neck area.

The bullet exited through the top-left side of his head. Removing a large area of cranium bone.

The body was taken off the car after some time after for identification purposes ( as shown in the high definition photos, very professionaly taken )

The line of dried blood from the neck bullet hole indicates that he was sitting when impacted, and his head was thrown back by the force of the proyectile ( as shown in other photos). His brain, cranium bones, and blood will probably be all over in the back seat area and roof.

Are there two sets of photos? One set of high definition, very professional and the other of poor definition and rather amateurish? Or is it just the result of poor copies of the original ? Two photographers or only one ? I can not sort this out.

The trayectory apparently is ascendant, typically inflicted by a prone shooter. The road block probably was organized with a couple of soldiers standing behind an improvised barricade ( fallen trees ), and the rest, giving support, prone position, taking cover along one of the sideroad ditches.

The other possibility is that the large volume of fire ( Sten guns mostly ) came from standing shooters, and that the first bullets hit him in other parts of the body ( not very cleary shown in photos ) throwing him backwards and then the neck wound. Everything happening in a few seconds.

In my oppinion most bullet holes are 9mm rather than .303. All fired at very close range.

So, NO knife scalping whatsoever, but someone used a sharp blade to cut off his General´s oak leaves and keep them as souvenirs. Althou if he survived the battle of Arnhem and was taken prisoner afterwards, he must have wisely thrown them away.

Anyway, few chances of surviving witnesses today to step out and clear out the story.

Cheers !

[Jan-Hendrik]

Did he actually had the two SS Divisons under his command for tactical operations or just for garrison duties?

No. He was simply Stadtkommandant of Arnheim (city Commander), just commanding garrison units for security duties, Feldkommandantur 642 (Arnheim was, until the britisch Para's landed, rear area).

See also this link

Jan-Hendrik

[Revellations]

Just letting you know the link works but the site is down this weekend.

Cheers

Scott

[fender234]

General Kussin was killed by SOE Agent Lt Colonel John Cottell, an action for which he received the MC. The photos were taken some time after the incident and Kussin was pulled from the car for the photograph.

On sight of the approaching staff car, Cottell lept to use an unmanned ground mounted Bren Gun which had been set up to cover the road junction. The driver, seeing Cottells action hastily put the car into reverse as Cottell unleashed a deadly volley of fire killing all occupants of the car.

This expalins some of the questions raised above

[Revellations]

fender234,

Thank you for your first post. Can you provide the source of this information as it contridicts everythign that has been written about this incident in the past. I am not saying you are wrong, but would love to know your source?

Cheers

Scott

[VtwinVince]

You get an MC for shooting up a staff car? Sounds incredible.

[PF]

3 Germans killed in car
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/234398355580680170/