WEST GERMANY: 7,000 MOURNERS ATTEND IMPRESSIVE FUNERAL CEREMONY FOR FORMER S.S. GENERAL "SEPP" DIETRICH.

Record ID: 652228

  • Title: WEST GERMANY: 7,000 MOURNERS ATTEND IMPRESSIVE FUNERAL CEREMONY FOR FORMER S.S. GENERAL "SEPP" DIETRICH.
  • Date: 27th April 1966
  • Summary: THE BODY OF DIETRICH LYING IN STATE: THE FUNERAL PROCESSION; AND THE CEREMONY AT THE CEMETERY. Initials AA/V/CR/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 12th May 1966 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LUDWIGSBURG, WEST GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA8MND0E6LQTTHE1OG4M5QXSZD8
  • Story Text: WEEPING EX-GENERALS TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CARRIED ONE OF HITLER'S CRACK SOLDIERS - FORMER S.S. GENERAL "SEPP" DIETRICH - TO A HILLSIDE GRAVE IN THE WEST GERMAN TOWN OF LUDWIGSBURG.

    MORE THAN 7,000 MOURNERS, MOSTLY MEN OF THE FORMER ELITE WAFFEN S.S. FIGHTING TROOPS OR THEIR RELATIVES, WALKED THROUGH THE CEMETERY TO PAY THEIR LAST RESPECTS TO ONE OF THE MOST FEARED OF NAZI GENERALS.

    DIETRICH, STOCKY AND JOVIAL, WITH BUSHY EYEBROWS, DIED OF A HEART ATTACK LAST THURSDAY. HE WAS 74 YEARS OLD. THE SON OF A POOR BAVARIAN PEASANT, DIETRICH BECAME ONE OF HITLER'S MOST TRUSTED OFFICERS AND COMMANDED THE FUEHRER'S PERSONAL BODYGUARD FROM ITS EARLY DAYS UNTIL IT WAS EXPANDED INTO AN EXCLUSIVE FIGHTING DIVISION. DURING THE WAR DIETRICH HELD COMMANDS IN POLAND, FRANCE, GREECE AND RUSSIA AND ALTHOUGH HE HAD NO MILITARY TRAINING HE LEARNED FROM EXPERIENCE AND BECAME A HARD FIGHTER AND RESPECTED TACTICIAN.

    GOEDDELS ADMIRED DIETRICH AND HE WAS ALSO A CLOSE FRIEND OF GESTAPO CHIEF HEINRICH HIMMLER. HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE MURDER OF STORM TROOP LEADERS ON HITLER'S ORDER ON THE "NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES" IN 1934. (THIS WAS WHEN HITLER GAVE THE ORDER TO EXECUTE THOSE PEOPLE AROUND HIM THAT HE DID NOT TRUST INCLUDING ROHEM.)
    HIS LOYALTY FLAGGED ONLY IN THE CLOSING DAYS OF THE WAR WHEN HE IGNORED HITLER'S ORDERS AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE IN A DESPERATE EFFORT TO SAVE THE LIVES OF HIS MEN. HITLER'S DEATH SAVED HIM FROM REPRISALS AND IN THE LATE SPRING OF 1945 HE SURRENDERED TO THE AMERICANS.

    THE NUREMBERG WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL SENTENCED HIM TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MURDER OF 142 AMERICAN SOLDIERS AT MALMEDY, BELGIUM, IN 1944. HE SERVED TEN YEARS IN PRISON.

    LOCAL AND STATE AUTHORITIES BANNED A PLANNED MASS PROCESSION AND THE BRASS BAND WAS NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY THE "BADENWEILER MARCH" WHICH WAS A FAVOURITE OF HITLER. BUT FANFARES BLARED OUT AND THE MOURNERS SANG "DEUTSCHLAND UEDER ALLES" AND THEIR DIVISION'S SONG "LOYALTY."
    MOURNERS FROM BELGIAN, DANISH AND AUSTRIAN WAFFEN S.S. UNITS WERE AMONG THOSE WHO PLACED WREATHS AT THE GRAVE.
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