Named SS personnel arrested by 4th Hussars,May 1945,Austria

[alan newark]

Named SS personnel, and local NSDAP political figures arrested by 4th Hussars, May 1945, Paternion area, Austria
From: on-line 4th Hussars War Diary

29/5/45
1800 – E reported that 2 SS men were hiding at STOCKENBOI No. 34 disguised as agricultural workers.
2300 – These two men were arrested and gave their names as Seigfried Kummerer and ? Schutz.

30/5/1945
1500- Both men were interrogated and Kummerer admitted to being a Cpl in the SS with 6 years service. He had served 2 periods at DACHAU and protested that he took no active part in any “atrocity duties” at that camp. Schutz was released.
2200 – Kummerer volunteered a statement to the effect that one SS Gruppenfuhrer and three SS Sturmbannfuhrer and one other SS man and two women were hiding in a hut on the MOSSLACHER ALM. An expedition comprising two Officers Special Force, Major Ramsey and Lt Birkett, and three Officers, Major Quarmby, Capt Wheeler and Lt Hedley, with 12 ORs 4th Hussars, was therefore organised to go to this hut to which Kummerer was willing to guide the party.

31/5/1945
0430- The party arrived at the hut.
0500 – Hut surrounded.
0510 – The door at the front was opened by Major Ramsey who had entered through a loft window. The door at the back was forced by Major Quarmby and Lt Hedley. Four men were found in the front of the house. Interrogation began at once and all men except the Gauleiter and SS Sturmbannfuhrer Lerch denied any knowledge of the SS. The women were allowed to remain in the hut, but arrangements are in hand (1430 hours) to arrest them. Dr Rainer, Lerch, three unidentified suspects and a fourth man who gave references in KLAGENFURT were brought down to the prison at PATERNION.
0715 – Schutz re-arrested on accusation of Kummerer.
1130 – The man suspected of being Glovocnik was trapped into acknowledging his name by a slight movement of his head when Major Ramsey shouted his name across the courtyard. He was ordered into arrest and poisoned himself with Prussic acid while walking the 150 yards between the Castle yard and the prison. Capt MM Leigh RAMC attempted to revive him but was unsuccessful. It was considered that he had had this poison concealed in his mouth from the moment in which the first alarm was raised at the hut as he consistently refused all form of refreshment. Three suspects on viewing the body confessed their identities as:-Sturmbannfuhrer der SS Michaelson,SS Sturmbannfuhrer Hoffle,Oberscharfuhrer Karl Hellesberger SS in TRIESTE.
1245 – all eight prisoners were removed by Capt Willett, leaving only Schutz in detention and under further investigation.