Introduction
Following
the escape of 76 air force officers from Stalag Luft II during the night
of 24-25 March 1944, it was decided to kill 50 of them in cold blood.
This was contrary to the laws and usage's of war, and resulted in two
war crimes trials. This page explains which Gestapo agent murdered
which one of the 50 escapees that were captured and subsequently murdered.
Who killed
which person
The following
table list all 50 murdered airmen, together with their rank, date of death,
their age, murderer's name and what ultimately happened to the murderer.
In some cases, the murderer's details are not known, and this is represented
by a question mark.
Those shown
as "Hanged Hamelin 27/2/48" were sentenced to death by hanging
at the 1st of 2 UK War Crimes trials that
were held concerning the murder of the 50 air force officers.
|
Name
|
Rank
|
Died
|
Age
|
Murderers'
Name
|
Murderers'
Fate
|
|
Birkland
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
25
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Brettell
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
29
|
Bruchardt
|
Death
(Comm. To Life)
|
|
Bull
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
|
Bushell
|
Squadron
Leader
|
29/03/44
|
33
|
Schulz
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Casey
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Catanach
|
Squadron
Leader
|
29/03/44
|
22
|
Post
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Christensen
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
21
|
Post
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Cochran
|
Flying
Officer
|
31/03/44
|
23
|
Priess
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
| |
|
|
|
Herberg
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Cross
|
Squadron
Leader
|
31/03/44
|
25
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Espelid
|
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
23
|
Post
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Evans
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
24
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Fugelsang
|
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
?
|
Post
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Gouws
|
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
24
|
Schneider
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Grisman
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
06/04/44
|
29
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Gunn
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
06/04/44
|
24
|
?
|
?
|
|
Hake
|
Warrant
Officer
|
31/03/44
|
27
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Hall
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
30/03/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Hayter
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
06/04/44
|
23
|
Schimmel
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Humphreys
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
29
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Kidder
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
29
|
Zacharis
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
| |
|
|
|
Knippelberg
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Kierath
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
29
|
?
|
?
|
|
Kiewnarski
|
Major
|
31/03/44
|
45
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Kirby-Green
|
Squadron
Leader
|
29/03/44
|
?
|
Zacharis
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
| |
|
|
|
Knippelberg
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Kolanowski
|
Flying
Officer
|
31/03/44
|
30
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Krol
|
Flying
Officer
|
14/04/44
|
27
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Langford
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
24
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Leigh
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
25
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Long
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
13/04/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
McGarr
|
Lieutenant
|
06/04/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
McGill
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Marcinkus
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
?
|
Bruchardt
|
Death
(Comm. To Life)
|
|
Milford
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
06/04/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Mondschein
|
Flying
Officer
|
29/03/44
|
35
|
?
|
?
|
|
Pawluk
|
Flying
Officer
|
31/03/44
|
27
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Picard
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
?
|
Bruchardt
|
Death
(Comm. To Life)
|
|
Pohe
|
Flying
Officer
|
31/03/44
|
29
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Scheidhauer
|
Sous-Lt
|
29/03/44
|
22
|
Spann
|
Killed
in Air Raid 25/4/45
|
|
Skanzikas
|
Pilot
Officer
|
30/03/44
|
22
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Stevens
|
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
24
|
Schneider
|
Hanged
Hamelin 27/2/48
|
|
Stewart
|
Flying
Officer
|
31/03/44
|
33
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Stower
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
|
Street
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
06/04/44
|
21
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Swain
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Tobolski
|
Flying
Officer
|
02/04/44
|
38
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Valenta
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Walenn
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
29/03/44
|
28
|
Bruchardt
|
Death
(Comm. To Life)
|
|
Wernham
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
30/03/44
|
27
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Wiley
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
31/03/44
|
?
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
| |
|
|
|
Scharpwinkel
|
Disappeared
in Soviet Zone
|
|
Williams
|
Squadron
Leader
|
29/03/44
|
24
|
Lux
|
Killed
in fighting 1945
|
|
Williams
|
Flight
Lieutenant
|
06/04/44
|
26
|
?
|
?
|
|