In the August 1944 photo taken in Wola District of Warsaw, SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS und Polizei Heinz Reinefarth (left, Kommandeur Kampfgruppe "Reinefarth") and SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS und Polizei Erich von dem Bach (center, Kommandierender General Korpsgruppe "Von dem Bach") share a lighter moment in the carnage during Warsaw Uprising. The Heer officer on the right is Major i.G. Dipl.-Ing. Eberhard Völkel (Ia Korpsgruppe "Von dem Bach"). Both SS members (Reinefarth and von dem Bach) never paid for any of their numerous crimes against Polish and Soviet civillians. After the war, "hungry for justice" Allies saw them as important witnesses at the Nuremberg Trials and because of this they refused everytime Poles or Soviets asked for extradition of them to Poland/USSR for trials. Later on Reinefarth was arrested but West Germany released him as "there was lack of evidences of his crimes'". He was eventually elected to the parliament of Schleswig-Holstein and became lawyer. Even despite many demands of his extradition to Poland, West Germany's government saw him as innocent and kept stating that there are no evidences of him comitting crimes - just like many other ex SS criminals in West Germany. Erich von dem Bach however, after the war, was sentenced for prison, but not for any of crimes committed in World War II, but for killing 6 communists in 1930s and SS member during the Night of the Long Knives (1934)!
Major i.G. Dipl.-Ing. Eberhard Völkel (Ia Korpsgruppe "Von dem Bach") in conversation with the staff of Sicherungs-Regiment 608, commanded by Oberst Willi Schmidt, seen here in the center leaning on the table.
Source :
Douglas E. Nash photo collection
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