Kriegsmarine Funeral Precession - An Interesting Photo Series

[Tim K.]

Astounding! Gentlemen, I am greatly indebted to all of you for taking the time to help with the research and translations with respect to these photos. It has increased my understanding, as well as my awe and appreciation of them a thousand-fold. The execution sequence photos are actually quite small (2.5 in x 3.5 in) and quite honestly, I owned the album for some time before I really noticed the details of their content.

As the album contains many good shots of the various KM personnel, I went back through it hoping to find if any of the other photos were inscribed or identified as 'Karl' or 'Braunecker', but no luck.

I'm going to continue researching this event and would appreciate any further comments or input that anyone might have. Eric, I'm curious...how were you able to track down the name so quickly?

Attached below is the caption in the album with respect to the execution series...

[Tim K.]

...and here is the caption in the album with respect to the burial sequence...it appears to indicate that the burial was in Amsterdam, is that correct?

[JOHN JONES]

Nice pictures, and a great peice of history.
Not sure what records show, but while 1000's a day died 'legally'
armies punished guys for murder, rapes, looting etc.
UK members will know a now defunct magazine called ' parade ' a
copy of which was in the printers I started work at in 1973.
I always remember an article about a roll of film found in french photo
shop. ( left by a german soldat but never collected )
It showed a firing squad about to shoot 6 or seven french civilians.
The next few shots showed one of the squad, stripped of his gear and
shouder straps, stood amongst those to be shot.
Story said, ( to the best of my remembrance ) that he had refused to
shoot civilians, and died alongside them. I understand he was honored
in the village after the war. I have searched for many years to track a
copy of that article.

Cheers. John.

[rexmundi]

Hi John,

Interesting story. Maybe a forummember knows that artikel?

[blackadder]

These Pics are sure intresting.
Any thoughts of selling them ?
i'm interested

gr niels

[Øyvind]

Very interesting pictures Tim. Don`t think they allowed to take pictures during the execution. I think that`s why we see the "spy caption" from the bushes.

Im pretty sure they execute a German soldier. The word "kameraden" apears on the back of the photos linked to the execution photos.

Cheers
Øyvind

[JOHN JONES]

Hello All,
That would tie in with the film not being claimed, as the word
probably went out of 'no mention' or you head east
The pictures were at distance and a bit blurred, so he probably went to
watch against orders.

Thing is, 'Parade' was a lads 'Tit & Bum' mag, so know one beleives you
are looking for an article .
As an apprentice, I was sent out for the butties. fags. fish and chips etc.
One guy asked me to get the mag a couple of times, I can still see the
women shop assistants look of distain..

Cheers,
John.

[Simon O.]

A very seldom and very interesting bit of KM history. Defintely something the photographer would have gotten into trouble for had he been caught.

I wonder if KM records of courts martial in Holland still remain, it would be interesting to see what crime the man commited, desertion i would think is the likeliest.

The KM also carried out executions (of KM personnel) here in Tromsø, we know they used ranges just as you see in these photos but we know nothing of those executed.

[Maurice]

Combined operations

Funny how people wordlwide contribute to this thread, the blessings of the WWW!
I collected much information on Todesurteile during the years. It was sparked by a German friend of mine, who wrote down his recollections on the execution of fellow comrades on M-612 in may 1945. Since then I have searched books and documents to see what was written about the subject.
One of those documents is a list, mentioning the casualties of the KM in the Netherlands. It shows their name, unit, date, etc. And oh, coincident, 1942 is the year I xeroxed...Oskar Braunecker, Matrose, born 13.3.1895, auf Grund Kriegs....zum Tode verurteilt und erschossen, buried 26.9.1942 at the Algemene begraafplaats Den Haag.
Since we are working together so fine yet, somebody might be able to read the exact cause, and the unit, 4.Kompanie Ausbildungs..? Amsterdam

Kind regards,

Maurice

[Maurice]

hey, my picture disappeared! Here another try.

[Maurice]

2

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[Eric JB]

Funny how people wordlwide contribute to this thread, the blessings of the WWW!
I collected much information on Todesurteile during the years. It was sparked by a German friend of mine, who wrote down his recollections on the execution of fellow comrades on M-612 in may 1945. Since then I have searched books and documents to see what was written about the subject.
One of those documents is a list, mentioning the casualties of the KM in the Netherlands. It shows their name, unit, date, etc. And oh, coincident, 1942 is the year I xeroxed...Oskar Braunecker, Matrose, born 13.3.1895, auf Grund Kriegs....zum Tode verurteilt und erschossen, buried 26.9.1942 at the Algemene begraafplaats Den Haag.
Since we are working together so fine yet, somebody might be able to read the exact cause, and the unit, 4.Kompanie Ausbildungs..? Amsterdam

Kind regards,

Maurice

Thanks Mauzz,

Maybe it should be written as Matrose, 4. Ausbildungs Kompanie Amsterdam.(as your scan only shows "4.Komp.Ausbildungs Amsterdam")

As his rank was Bootsmaat, he was degraded - reduced to the lowest Kriegsmarine rank of Matrose, before he was executed.

Don't know why he is called Oskar on your document as the Volksbund also shows Karl as firstname.

yours
Eric-Jan Bakker

[Tim K.]

Thanks Maurice for your contribution! I think the word is 'Kriegsgericht...' i.e. court-martial, but I still can't make out the last couple letters from that word. So it's something to the effect of 'due to court-martial, condemned to death and shot'.

Here's a link to the information on Volksbund.de, and a screen capture, which indicates his exact burial location as 'Karl Braunecker ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Ysselsteyn (Niederlande). Endgrablage: Block BH Reihe 6 Grab 135'

http://www.volksbund.de/kgs/stadt.asp?stadt=1087

[DougO]

Brauneker

The photos on the back say :'' Shooting of Brauneker " and " shooting of a 'KAMERADEN'...for nothing . " and " Burial of a'KAMERADEN ' " ... SOO, this is the shooting/ execution of a fellow marine soldier for some minor crime , since the words "for nothing ". I don't think the burial would be of the same man in such of formal maner. It might be , but it does not stand to reason,that a convicted soldier would get such formal funeral ! I hope, this helps. Regards, Bernd Ostermann