Order that allied soldiers (Anglo-American and Soviet) captured with partisan groups are to be treated as members of "terror and sabotage" groups and not as prisoners of war

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Authors

Wilhelm Keitel (Field Marshal, Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces)

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Wilhelm Keitel

German field marshal

el Mariscal Keitel
  • Born: 1882-09-22 (Helmscherode) (country: German Empire; located in the administrative territorial entity: Duchy of Brunswick)
  • Died: 1946-10-16 (Nuremberg) (country: Allied-occupied Germany)
  • Country of citizenship: Germany
  • Occupation: military officer; military personnel; politician
  • Member of political party: Nazi Party
  • Military rank: general field marshal
  • Military branch: artillery
  • VIAF ID: https://viaf.org/viaf/74027425

Date: 30 July 1944

Literal Title: re: Treatment of members of foreign "Military Missions", captured together with partisans.

Total Pages: 1

Language of Text: English

Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)

Evidence Code: PS-537

Citation: IMT (page 2190)

HLSL Item No.: 451854

Notes:Under Hitler's commando order (October 1942), the captives were to be executed.

Trial Issues

Criminal organizations (Gestapo, Leadership Corps, Cabinet, SS, SD, OKW) (… Partisan fighters (and commandos), operations against, and treatment of (I…

Document Summary

Staff Evidence Analyses

PS-537: Draft of a letter from OKW regarding treatment of British, American and Russian so-called members of military missions. Calssified Top Secret

Red Series Doc Descriptions

PS-537: Keitel’s top-secret order, 30 July 1944, stating that members of foreign military missions taken prisoner with guerrillas are not to be treated as prisoners of war, but to be exterminated in accordance with Hitler’s order of 18 October 1942

Doc Book Tables of Contents

PS-537: 30 July 44 - Hitler order re application of commando order to members of foreign "military missions".

Draft
The Fuehrer's Headquarters, 30 July 1944
The High Command of the Wehrmacht 009074/44 g.k./WFSt/Qu. (Verw.l)
TOP SECRET
re: Treatment of members of foreign "Military Missions", captured together with partisans.
In the areas of the High Command Southeast and Southwest members of foreign so-called "Military Missions" (anglo-American as well as Soviet-Russian) captured in the course of the struggle against partisans shall not receive the treatment as stipulated in the special orders regarding the treatment of captured partisans. Therefore they are not to be treated as PWs but in conformity with the Fuehrer's order the elimination of terror and sabotage troops of 18 October 1942 (OKW/WFSt. 003830/42 g.Kdos).
This order shall not be transmitted to other units of the armed forces via the High Commands and equivalent staffs and is to be destroyed after being read.
The Chief of the High Command of the Wehrmacht
KEITEL
Distribution:
High Comd S/E—1st copy.
High Comd S/W—2nd copy.
General Staff of the Army—3rd copy.
OKM/SK1.—4th copy.
OKL/Lw.Fu.Stb.—5th copy.
Reichsfuehrer—and Chief of the German Police—
Staff RF—Attention Major General and Major - General of the Waffen SS Rhode, also for RSH—6th copy. OKW/AWA—7th copy.
/Chief PWs—8th copy.
WR—9th copy.
WFSt/W.Pr.—10th copy.
Op. (H-L-M)—11th copy.
Org.—12th copy.
Ktb.—13th copy.
Qu. (Draft)—14th copy.
Reserve—15-25 copies.
439