ARREST RESISTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25339, 22 October 1945, Page 6

ARREST RESISTED

FRIEND OF HIMMLER FIGHT AT A FARMHOUSE HAMBURG, Oct. 20 The British security police, after a desperate early morning gun battle in a lonely farmhouse outside Luneburg, arrested Flans Killin, alias Koch, aged 29, a major-general in the Luftwaffe and a friend and confidant of Heinrich Himinlcr, former Gestapo chief. Killin is believed to bo the man Himmler appointed to lead the Werewolf movement. A document, allegedly incriminating, was found sewn 1:1 a pocket in one of Killin's jackets. Killin arrived at the farm three months ago with a recommendation from another farmer and was employed as an agricultural labourer. The British police arrived at the farmhouse in six cars; aml surrounded the building while an armed party smashed- its way through the kitchen window nnd ran to the bedroom looking for Killin. The farmer's son sounded the alarm, and his father, George luck, disobeying an order to raise bis hands, attacked and clubbed a British lieutenant. Firing then broke out. Kick, although wounded, continued to struggle in the darkness, pinioning the arms of one security man until be was struck down with a truncheon. Kick died soon afterward. While the shooting was going on Killin crouched on the floor, apparently hoping to escape detection. When he was arrested ho asked permission to take clothing from his room. The clothing was searched and a tube containing four poison tablets .was found in a jacket. By the light of torches Killin was stripped naked in the Farmyard and incriminating papers were found. Killin was then driven to Luneburg, An R.A.F. flight lieutenant received a bullet wound in 1 lie arm and an Army lieutenant suffered concussion. Two others received first aid. About 30 men, many of them young German ex-soldiers, were emoloved at Kick's farm. One of them said that bands of Poles, sometimes wearing British and American uniforms, had been raiding the farms and when a window was smashed evervone thought it was one of these raids. Someone said: "We are British officers," but Kick apparently did not believe them. Kick's widow asserted that he was not a Nazi and was not aware of the identity of the man who called himself Hans Koch.