Warning ! KG Knittel ( Bulge ) book

Hmm..frustrating ! Just returned from my vacation ( which included visits to Petit Spai, Ferme Antoine and other KG Knittel locations) and immediately tried to order a copy. All goes well until I come to the 'Payment Options' box, which won't let me click on anything.
OK, will maybe try an email tomorrow........

 

A number of people (including myself) have had problems as well, but resolved them in the following way. Turn off the pop-up blocker under Tools in your browser (you can turn it back on when you're finished). The website uses pop-ups instead of links. Also, for some reason when I hit the "Order" button I was referred to the Dutch (NL) language order page, so had to hit the EN page button at the top of the NL page to get back on track.

At any rate, the main problem seems to be that pop-up thing. My copy is "in the mail."

 

Thanks, KB - turned off the blocker, but it still won't do anything when I try to pay......it's not a life-or-death thing, guess I'll wait for a copy to turn up on e-bay or at a bookfair.

 

Still no luck Martin? If you want I can ask the webshop to contact you to solve the problem?

 

The book will also be available in the bookshop of the December 44 Historical Museum in La Gleize...

http://www.december44.com/en/the-museum.htm

...in the bookshop of the Baugnez 44 Historical Centre...

http://www.baugnez44.be/en/news.htm

...and in the Octa Librairie Allée Verte in Stavelot...

https://www.facebook.com/avia.librairiealleeverte

 

Thanks a lot . It's my birthday in a few weeks, so I'll put the list on my wife's bedside table with a few extra hints.

 

Upon hearing their name called out, each individual defendant walked down the steps of the dock and up to the bench to learn his fate from the judges who read out their verdict. Sentencing was swift. Defendant number 1, Valentin Bersin, sentenced to death by hanging; defendant number 2, Friedel Bode, death by hanging; number 4, Willy Braun, sentenced to life imprisonment; number 5, Kurt Briesemeister, death by hanging. It only took two minutes on average to read out each sentence. Defendant number 9, Manfred Coblenz, life imprisonment; defendant number 11, Sepp Dietrich, life imprisonment. The film cameras kept rolling. Defendants number 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, death by hanging. “Gustav Knittel!” It took him only a few big steps to get from the top row of the dock down to the bench where he stood ramrod in front of the judges as if at attention. Dalbey read out the sentence:

“The court in closed session with at least two-thirds of the members present at the time the vote was taken concurring, sentences you to life imprisonment and that's forthwith of such places that may be designated by competent military authority.”

A German interpreter translated the verdict for Knittel, who turned on his heels before the full translation was over, the only words he had needed to hear were ‘Lebenslängliche Freiheitsstrafe’. With his head held high and face impassive he marched out of the courtroom guarded by two American MPs, no doubt absorbing his escape from the hangman’s noose. The judge continued his sentencing: defendant number 42, Joachim Peiper, death by hanging; defendant number 45, Hermann Priess, twenty years. After two hours and twenty minutes, forty three death penalties and thirty prison sentences had been passed.

 

The 18th of December 1944 - After crossing Stavelot SS-Obersturmführer Manfred Coblenz paused his halftracks at the western edge of Stavelot near the ‘Les Quartiers‘ villa and waited for the rest of the Aufklärungsabteilung to follow but nothing happened. Coblenz’ company left the western edge of Stavelot in the direction of Trois-Ponts at 15.00hrs which means members of his outfit are plausible suspects in the murder of 53-year old Tony Lambert, who was shot dead at the doorstep of his villa at approximately the same time:


“Shortly after 15.00hrs, Mr. Lambert saw two SS men approach the main entrance with drawn revolvers [sic]. He calmed his frightened wife and went to open [the door]. He was gunned down without a word. After the SS had committed their crime, they asked [the people] inside: ‘are there any Americans here?’ The governess of the children answered: ‘only civilians, come see for yourself.’ The SS replied grinning: ‘You didn’t think we would come back, did you? We will recapture Brussels and Paris.’ They then turned to Mrs. Lambert, who had heard the shots but did not yet know what had happened to her husband, and asked her something to drink. The unfortunate obeyed with the help of her second daughter Claudine and offered them beer and wine. One German pushed his revolver [sic] against the girl’s chest and demanded cognac. When Mrs. Lambert went to get the alcohol, she noticed her husband’s lifeless body through the glass door of the salon. Satisfied [with the alcohol] the SS [men] left the house but almost immediately two others showed up who also demanded cognac. More dead than alive, Mrs. Lambert handed them all the alcohol she had. The two soldiers also left the house. Nobody dared to go up to the ground floor to bring in the body of Mr. Lambert before it was dark. German tanks continued to drive by and fired their machine guns soon as they saw somebody move. As it was dark by 17.00hrs, the family could get the corpse of Mr. Lambert inside and shut the door.”

Photo: the ‘Les Quartiers‘ villa photographed before the battle...

 

http://www.boekenbestellen.nl/boek/gustav-knittel/17352?lang=en

 

I've just finished Timo's superb book which has easily been one of the most absorbing books I've read this year. As well as being as comprehensive as possible a biography of Knittel, it reads also almost as a potted history of the LSSAH Aufklarungsabteilung.

But enough ! I now need to collect my thoughts and post a review on here........