GUILTY OF MURDERING ESCAPEE AIRMEN
IIAMBUIHJ, Sept. 2. The War Crinies Unuit l'ouiul guilty the 18 Gostapo and S.S. nieu accused of murdering, on Hitler's orders, oO olficers of the B.A.F. and Allied Air Porees who made a mass escape from Stalag Lui't III, in Silcsia, in Marcli, 1544. New Zcalanders killed were FliglitLieutenant A. ti. Christenseu and Flving (Jificer P. II. Pohe. Ail accused pleaded not guiltv. The Tinies ' Ihunburg correspondent says there was a eommon thenie in the pleus whieh defending counsel made for the nntigation of the sentences. This was that it was impossible for anv German to aet other than aecused had done wlien confronted with an order eoining l'rom Ilitler, to disohey which was to risk death personallv and, under the Xazi practice of collective responsibility, reprisals on near relatives. Counsel said Goering and Himmler could have objected to tlie order to ki 11 the ollicers but did not and wlien they did not object no interior oflicer could say anything. Fourtecn of the accused were sea tenced to death by hanging, two received life imprisonment and two K years ' imprisonment.
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Chronicle (Levin), 4 September 1947, Page 5
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186GUILTY OF MURDERING ESCAPEE AIRMEN Chronicle (Levin), 4 September 1947, Page 5
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