Austria, June 1941: Knittel with his young German Shepherd Rex (photo courtesy of Trevor R. Soltys). In the background the Benedictine Abbey above the town of Melk on the border of the Danube River. The town is situated on the main road from Munich to Vienna and the photo was probably taken when Knittel returned from home leave and drove from Neu-Ulm to Brünn via Munich and Vienna. The car is probably a 1938 Buick Type 48.
SS-Obersturmführer Hans-Martin Leidreiter had fond memories of ‘Rexi’ but also recalled: “poor Rexi – a very dark night somewhere in Russia he was erroneously shot by a guard! Knittel was very upset and affected.” (Letter from Hans-Martin Leidreiter to the author, dated the 1st of July 2005).
SS-Obersturmführer Hans-Martin Leidreiter had fond memories of ‘Rexi’ but also recalled: “poor Rexi – a very dark night somewhere in Russia he was erroneously shot by a guard! Knittel was very upset and affected.” (Letter from Hans-Martin Leidreiter to the author, dated the 1st of July 2005).
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