Hello,
I watched a Discovery Channel special on the Nuremberg trials recently. Jodl, Goering, Doenitz, and Keitel were shown in the dock wearing military uniforms, but with all their insignia and awards removed.
Does anyone know what happened to these items? Are they in a museum or government archive somewhere or were they looted long before by their captors as souvenirs?
Uniforms/Awards of Defendants at Nuremberg Trials
Moderator: John W. Howard
-
Ernest Penfold
- Supporter
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:55 am
- Location: Leamington Spa
Göring removed his medals and awards upon his arrival at the Augsburg detention center. (See Davis’s Uniforms and Insignia of the Luftwaffe, VOL 2, pages 302 –305 For pictures. ) His hunting dagger and Marshal’s Baton were taken by Colonel Quinn, G2, 7th US Army, and eventually made there way to the US Military Academy’s Museum at West Point NY. His awards and medals (according to Davis) accompanied Goring to the “Ashcan” Detention Center at Mondorf-les-Bains. The commandant of the center, COL Brutus Andrus listed all the valuables Goring took into Ashcan: 49 personal objects and 81,268 RM.
In Oct 1946 COL Andrus broke up Göring’s awards and jeweled items. The claim is that the military decorations were torn apart and the precious metals melted down and all the stones gathered. Then they were handed over to the new German “economy.” The rest of Göring’s items were returned to his widow.
In Oct 1946 COL Andrus broke up Göring’s awards and jeweled items. The claim is that the military decorations were torn apart and the precious metals melted down and all the stones gathered. Then they were handed over to the new German “economy.” The rest of Göring’s items were returned to his widow.