Oskar Klingelhöfer

[DeMil]

This lot isnt for sale and wont be as long as i live.

Well, somewhen in mid 1945 the US have catched Klingelhöfer and I guess he was as surprised about the accusation as all the other suspects. I think if he had known what now would beginn he had prefered russian captivity.

During the interogations the US used obviously a lot of dubious techniques. Especially the tried to play of the accused against each other. It didnt matter if they testified the truth or not. Fleps for example was promised freedom when he accused Siptrott (his tank commander who did never speak a word again with him after the war). Siptrott obviously accused Klingelhöfer and Klingelhöfer accused Pötschke. The result was that all were sentenced to death (except of Pötschke, who was already dead). Thats an interesting document that shows clearly the difference. Note especially the testimony of Ehrhardt (who was not among the accused):

I like your answer !!!
Nice to know that this unique group in in the hands of a true collector

[LuckyStrike23]

The last few posts - Klingelhöfers own decription. It is true that he was not at the crossroad when the shooting took place. He left shortly after Peiper - thats sure:

[LuckyStrike23]

8

[LuckyStrike23]

I want to close that thread with a petition for clemency of his mother. I have more of these petition but the one of her is the most interesting.

[LuckyStrike23]

9

[John Pic]

Interesting that he was from Giessen. I lived in the area in the 1980s and bought a lot of German militaria at an Antique shop across from the Giessen Hauptbahnhof. I fact a large amount of what I had came from there. I always love to see the history connected to a place I have been. It gives us a perspective also of the man, because of the region and town he was from.

[LuckyStrike23]

I want to bring back that thread because new pics and information appeared the last days. At first the earliest pic ever - Klingelhöfer at the age of 6 or 7 and as a HJ-boy:

[LuckyStrike23]

the next one is in black uniforms but in a very low quality. Could be within "Germania" or as a cadet in Braunschweig:

[LuckyStrike23]

here as a fresh promoted Untersturmführer in Braunschweig. The cufftitle "Junkerschule Braunschweig" is visible.
Horses, dogs, cigarettes and coffee were main issues in his life - even in later years.

[LuckyStrike23]

When the war was over Klingelhöfer was with the LAH in austria. As I was told today he walked together with is shepard dog on foot back home to Celle. There he got that new ID Card. Obviously he thought he could now start a new life and had not the smallest idea of what was going on behind the scene....

[Albrecht]

Danke Schön

Thank you, LuckyStrike23, for these postings. Very interesting to see.

[Sjking]

..

Excellent thread fantastic items, thanks for sharing and updating the thread.

[LuckyStrike23]

here a few more infos out of the Washington archiv - his combat record and his wounds (the first one was on 10. juli near Opotschka, a day of hard fighting and the last one is decripted in post 153).

[LuckyStrike23]

Somewhen in mid 1945 he was suddenly arrested by the British and handed over to the Americans.

one of the first prison documents - the sentence was changed by hand several times:

[LuckyStrike23]

a few activities during his time in prison. He learned there the professsion as a photographer (as his wife was as well):