Balder Ex-Libris

Author : Anonymous
Title : German army documentary evidence of Katyn massacre
Year : 2010

Link download : German_army_documentary_evidence_of_Katyn_massacre.zip

Discovery of the mass graves: the evidence of Ludvig Voss. The evidence concerning the discovery of the mass-graves of Polish officers was given by Ludvig Voss, Secretary of the Secret Field Police, in the presence of the Judge, Doctor Iuris Conrad, and an Official of the legal office of Bornemann's Army. This witness gave the details of the case and his personal data; he then explained that his duties consisted in supervising the exhumation work at Katyn and the police investigations. His evidence was given on April 26, 1943, and the gist of it is as follows : The first news of the mass-graves of Katyn was received at the beginning of February, 1943. Mounds with young pine-trees planted on them were found in the Katyn forest; on closer inspection it was discovered that they were caused by human agency. Preliminary excavations, carried out during the February frost, proved the existence of mass-graves. In view of the prevailing cold, work on a large scale could not be undertaken. People living in the neighbourhood were called as witnesses in order to ascertain the facts. Then follows a list of the witnesses. By special order of the German High Command (OKW), the excavation of the first grave was commenced on March 29, 1943. So far 600 bodies had been identified. There were about 3,000 bodies in the first grave. It was estimated that in the nearby graves a further 5,000 to 6,000 bodies would be found. The identification so far carried out showed beyond all doubt that they were, almost without exception, the bodies of officers of the Polish Army. All entries in the diaries and notebooks found on the bodies ceased on dates between April 6 and April 20, 1940. ...