NAZI CAMP MURDER
Military Trial Sequel To Outrage In Britain NON-NAZI PRISONER KILLED Rec. noon. LONDON, August 7. A Military Court in London began the trial of four German war prisoners charged with murdering a fellow prisoner, a non-commissioned officer, Gerhardt Rettig. The accused were three non-commissioned officers and a private—Emil Schmittendorf, Armin Kuehne, Heinz Ditzler and Juergen Kersting. They are accused of deliberately inflicting such injuries on Rettig in a camp near Sheffield on March 24 that he died about two hours later. The prosecution alleged that Rettig, a non-Nazi, communicated with British guards, as a result of which the camp leader spoke to Rettig and a friend, also a non-Nazi. Rettig and hig friend were packing their kits preparatory to leaving the hut when Rettig was kicked and beaten by about 100 prisoners, of whom the four accused were the ringleaders. I
The crowd later grew to 500, which cornered Rettig near a rubbish tip. He was last seen lying on the ground with Kuehne and Schmittendorf hitting and kicking him. The crowd melted away when a warning was given that the guards were coming. Rettig's injuries caused haemorrhage of the brain, resulting ; n death. Accused pleaded not guilty. The names of 14 other prisoners giving evidence are being kept secret.
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NAZI CAMP MURDER, Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 186, 8 August 1945
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213NAZI CAMP MURDER Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 186, 8 August 1945
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