F L Rambonnet

[Wouter J]

Everyone,
I am looking for additional information on the man who was responsible for many murders and tortures in and around my hometown Deventer. His name is Frederic Louis Rambonnet. Some books cite him as being a member of the Landwacht, and others tell me he was a member of the SD. He ran a complex called the Oxerhof in the forests near here- by the inhabitants it was called the Deventer concentration camp- and led a unit of Landwacht, SD and SS. Was he himself a member of the SD? One book cites him as being a 'Stormbanleider', which would translate to Sturmbannführer. If anyone has any information on this cruel man, I would very much like to hear it.
Wouter

[Larry deZeng]

The Dutch were very good about documenting Nazi war crimes committed on Dutch soil and/or against Dutch citizens, so there should be lots and lots of information on this person and the camp in the woods in the Dutch national archives. There would also be information in the U.N. war crimes archives in New York.

But if you just want to use the internet, here is a good place to post your question:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewfor...67f7865da2451a

[Wouter J]

Hi Larry, there is a lot of information about the prisoncamp- some of it very detailed. The location and the original mansion are still there, the cell block and torture chambers have since been demolished. I also know that Rambonnet was himself captured by a high profile Dutch resistance fighter who was also in the Council of Resistance. During the war, he and Rambonnet played a sort of cat and mouse game, let's just say that Berghuis (The resistance fighter) had his fair share of losing. But after the war he got his payback. He was with the POD (A service charged with tracking down fugitive war criminals) and found Rambonnet in the Harskamp, a large POW camp. He had fled Deventer and tried to join a unit of Landwachters and Germans who wanted to fight on, but in the end he surrendered to the Canadians. His death is shrouded in mystery- suicide or murder. He had previously tried to commit suicide but failed. His official cause of death is 'Accidently walked into a guards rifle butt a bit too hard'...

My main question is, was he an SS or SD member or simply a Landwacht member?

[Johnny R]

Not really just a member, he was District Commander of the Landwacht for Overijssel. Beyond that, if he was in the other organizations copies of his SS records may be in NARA Washington DC. PM me and I can give you the name of a professional researcher I have used for several projects.

[Larry deZeng]

W.J. -

You seem to already have a lot on him and I now see what you are looking for. I am not an authority on the very specialized subject of the relationship between the SS and SD and Dutch collaborator personnel, but I am of sorts on the relationship between the SS/SD and the Croatian UNS (Ustasa Nadzorna Sluzba), which was the Croatian equivalent of the Gestapo and SD. None of the UNS personnel belonged to the SD or the SS, either directly or indirectly. The Germans worked hand-in-hand with the UNS and kept hefty files on the more senior UNS people, but they were never members of the SD or SS. You may find that the same situation applies in the case of Dutch Landwacht personnel.

[Wouter J]

Hi Larry, he was not Dutch, but Austrian. There are some pictures of him, one or two being taken after his capture. You can clearly see he is wearing a German uniform, without badges. One badge is still on the uniform though, a rank badge, which looks like a Rottenführer badge. Will post the picture tomorrow.
Jhodgson: I'm sending you a message.

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Larry, he was not Dutch, but Austrian. There are some pictures of him, one or two being taken after his capture. You can clearly see he is wearing a German uniform, without badges. One badge is still on the uniform though, a rank badge, which looks like a Rottenführer badge. Will post the picture tomorrow.
Jhodgson: I'm sending you a message.

Ah ha! If he was an Austrian national and citizen in March 1938, then he was a citizen of the Grosser Deutschen Reich after than date and may well have been SD or SS. His citizenship changes the entire picture. The BDC records now on microfilm in WashDC should tell the story.

--Larry

[MJC]

Just checked, no 201 file on Rambonnet at NARA. Sorry.

[Wouter J]

Here's a picture of our man after his capture by the POD, look at the rank badge on his sleeve, looks like a Rottenführer. But how would a simple Rottenführer be a districtcommander and be in charge of a prison camp?

[Wouter J]

Does anyone have a clue?

[SiPo]

But how would a simple Rottenführer be a districtcommander and be in charge of a prison camp?

I would think your guy has more than likely changed uniforms to a lower rank so as to evade capture/recognition.

G

[Johnny R]

I would think your guy has more than likely changed uniforms to a lower rank so as to evade capture/recognition.

G

My thoughts too, Himmler was captured wearing a Army NCO tunic.

[Wouter J]

Thanks for the replies, I would have to try and find a picture of him before his capture, which will be hard to find.
I think you are right- I read he was a Sturmbannführer, and allthough I am not sure of that, if he was a Rottenführer, that would've been odd. If anyone comes across anymore info on him, I'd be glad to hear.