Heinz Petry - German school kid executed by the allies for spying two months after the end of WWII. [940x528 - 126KB]

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The farmers in the fields ducked their heads when suddenly shots rang out. "At first we thought we were being shot at," one of the rural women reported later. But why should that have happened on June 1, 1945? The nearby Braunschweig had been occupied by American troops for 50 days, a good three weeks ago the Wehrmacht had capitulated, the war was over after all ... “Then I saw,” the eyewitness continues, “like a small truck the American drove out of the neighboring gravel pit with two coffins ”.

The volleys that were fired 75 years ago today came from eight rifles of a firing squad of the 9th US Army. At exactly 10:32 a.m. they met a 16-year-old man from the Rhineland named Heinz Petry and his 17-year-old comrade Josef Schöner from Stolberg near Aachen. They had both been put on railway planks in the gravel pit on the road between the two villages of Denstorf and Wedtlenstedt at the gates of Braunschweig and executed. As spies. The execution was recorded in a film by photographers and even an army cameraman - possibly only for documentation, but perhaps also as a deterrent.

Heinz Petry was born on December 31, 1928 as the eldest son of a nursery owner in Euskirchen. At the age of 13 he came to a National Socialist cadre school, the "Adolf Hitler School" (AHS) at Drachenfels Castle in Koenigswinter near Bonn. In January 1945 Petry was trained together with some classmates, among other things, in the use of explosives; the boys were apparently to be thrown into the fight against the advancing Allies with units of the Volkssturm as “last contest”.

Operate in civilian clothes behind enemy lines

At the beginning of February they were sent to Bergheim near Cologne. Divided into groups of two, they should allow themselves to be rolled over by the Americans or British and operate in civilian clothes behind enemy lines. Either by blowing up military equipment or by observing troop movements, the strength and armament of the units and transmitting them by radio.

On February 21st, Petry was brought to his area of work near Aachen with the person who knew the place well. "We should make inquiries about enemy traffic," Petry reported later. Schöne, who was not a student at the AHS, volunteered for a particularly dangerous assignment. Because his father, as a hotel owner in Stolberg, had been sentenced to death by a German court for trafficking in the black market. Now the son wanted to make up for the shame that his father had brought on the family through special bravery. It is part of the tragedy of his fate that Schoener's father was able to avoid his execution because of the rapid advance of the US Army, while these same Americans sentenced his son to death as a spy and shot him.

The farmers in the fields ducked their heads when suddenly shots rang out. "At first we thought we were being shot at," one of the rural women reported later. But why should that have happened on June 1, 1945? The nearby Braunschweig had been occupied by American troops for 50 days, a good three weeks ago the Wehrmacht had capitulated, the war was over after all ... “Then I saw,” the eyewitness continues, “like a small truck the American drove out of the neighboring gravel pit with two coffins ”. The volleys that were fired 75 years ago today came from eight rifles of a firing squad of the 9th US Army. At exactly 10:32 a.m. they met a 16-year-old man from the Rhineland named Heinz Petry and his 17-year-old comrade Josef Schöner from Stolberg near Aachen. They had both been put on railway planks in the gravel pit on the road between the two villages of Denstorf and Wedtlenstedt at the gates of Braunschweig and executed. As spies. The execution was recorded in a film by photographers and even an army cameraman - possibly only for documentation, but perhaps also as a deterrent. Heinz Petry was born on December 31, 1928 as the eldest son of a nursery owner in Euskirchen. At the age of 13 he came to a National Socialist cadre school, the "Adolf Hitler School" (AHS) at Drachenfels Castle in Koenigswinter near Bonn. In January 1945 Petry was trained together with some classmates, among other things, in the use of explosives; the boys were apparently to be thrown into the fight against the advancing Allies with units of the Volkssturm as “last contest”. Operate in civilian clothes behind enemy lines At the beginning of February they were sent to Bergheim near Cologne. Divided into groups of two, they should allow themselves to be rolled over by the Americans or British and operate in civilian clothes behind enemy lines. Either by blowing up military equipment or by observing troop movements, the strength and armament of the units and transmitting them by radio. On February 21st, Petry was brought to his area of work near Aachen with the person who knew the place well. "We should make inquiries about enemy traffic," Petry reported later. Schöne, who was not a student at the AHS, volunteered for a particularly dangerous assignment. Because his father, as a hotel owner in Stolberg, had been sentenced to death by a German court for trafficking in the black market. Now the son wanted to make up for the shame that his father had brought on the family through special bravery. It is part of the tragedy of his fate that Schoener's father was able to avoid his execution because of the rapid advance of the US Army, while these same Americans sentenced his son to death as a spy and shot him.

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Just one day after the start of their mission, Petry and Schöner were arrested by an American patrol in their hiding place near the village of Birgden north of Aachen between Heinsberg and Geilenkirchen. The two youths had managed to penetrate deep into the rear of the Allied deployment area. However, the speedy arrest suggests that they were only prepared extremely amateurishly for such a dangerous undertaking. Since the Americans had also largely evacuated the German civilian population because of the fighting and it was swarming with the military, the two young German civilians must have attracted attention.

"It is regrettable that the German armed forces have humiliated themselves so far"

After Petry and Schöner were first taken to Aachen prison, they were later transported to Mönchengladbach, where they were sentenced to death by a two-thirds majority for espionage on March 29, 1945 after a one-day trial by a court martial consisting of officers of the 9th US Army.

Among other things, the verdict says: “It is extremely regrettable that the not so invincible German armed forces have humiliated themselves to such an extent as to induce young boys into the dangerous occupation of espionage. However, if you had carried out your task successfully, we would have paid just as dearly for it as if it had been carried out by adults. ”That is why the judgment must be so harsh. "We have no choice but to reward fire with fire and blood with blood."

It goes on: “Perhaps you had no choice but to follow orders faithfully under the rule of your Nazi teachers. But their power over you ceased the moment you were behind our lines. Then you could have turned to the first best American soldier and confessed the truth to him; and no sorrow would have come over you. You acted differently. On the contrary, you tried to carry out the orders of your beloved leader and his hordes of criminals, who so bravely demanded this of you from their bombproof bunkers. "The accused are" both old and clever enough to see the consequences of your actions before your eyes hold. ”After their plan had failed, they would now“ pay the price ”.

The farewell letter

Her defense attorney, also an American officer, immediately submitted a petition for clemency. Her relatives were told that the sentence would in all likelihood be changed to 10 years' imprisonment and that the convicts would likely be released after the war ended. For weeks the boys waited for a decision. The Commanding General of the 9th Army, William H. Simpson, declined her appeal, upheld the verdict and ordered the death penalty to be carried out by shooting.

Just one day after the start of their mission, Petry and Schöner were arrested by an American patrol in their hiding place near the village of Birgden north of Aachen between Heinsberg and Geilenkirchen. The two youths had managed to penetrate deep into the rear of the Allied deployment area. However, the speedy arrest suggests that they were only prepared extremely amateurishly for such a dangerous undertaking. Since the Americans had also largely evacuated the German civilian population because of the fighting and it was swarming with the military, the two young German civilians must have attracted attention. "It is regrettable that the German armed forces have humiliated themselves so far" After Petry and Schöner were first taken to Aachen prison, they were later transported to Mönchengladbach, where they were sentenced to death by a two-thirds majority for espionage on March 29, 1945 after a one-day trial by a court martial consisting of officers of the 9th US Army. Among other things, the verdict says: “It is extremely regrettable that the not so invincible German armed forces have humiliated themselves to such an extent as to induce young boys into the dangerous occupation of espionage. However, if you had carried out your task successfully, we would have paid just as dearly for it as if it had been carried out by adults. ”That is why the judgment must be so harsh. "We have no choice but to reward fire with fire and blood with blood." It goes on: “Perhaps you had no choice but to follow orders faithfully under the rule of your Nazi teachers. But their power over you ceased the moment you were behind our lines. Then you could have turned to the first best American soldier and confessed the truth to him; and no sorrow would have come over you. You acted differently. On the contrary, you tried to carry out the orders of your beloved leader and his hordes of criminals, who so bravely demanded this of you from their bombproof bunkers. "The accused are" both old and clever enough to see the consequences of your actions before your eyes hold. ”After their plan had failed, they would now“ pay the price ”. The farewell letter Her defense attorney, also an American officer, immediately submitted a petition for clemency. Her relatives were told that the sentence would in all likelihood be changed to 10 years' imprisonment and that the convicts would likely be released after the war ended. For weeks the boys waited for a decision. The Commanding General of the 9th Army, William H. Simpson, declined her appeal, upheld the verdict and ordered the death penalty to be carried out by shooting.

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[–] • 0 pt

Just one day after the start of their mission, Petry and Schöner were arrested by an American patrol in their hiding place near the village of Birgden north of Aachen between Heinsberg and Geilenkirchen. The two youths had managed to penetrate deep into the rear of the Allied deployment area. However, the speedy arrest suggests that they were only prepared extremely amateurishly for such a dangerous undertaking. Since the Americans had also largely evacuated the German civilian population because of the fighting and it was swarming with the military, the two young German civilians must have attracted attention.

"It is regrettable that the German armed forces have humiliated themselves so far"

After Petry and Schöner were first taken to Aachen prison, they were later transported to Mönchengladbach, where they were sentenced to death by a two-thirds majority for espionage on March 29, 1945 after a one-day trial by a court martial consisting of officers of the 9th US Army.

Among other things, the verdict says: “It is extremely regrettable that the not so invincible German armed forces have humiliated themselves to such an extent as to induce young boys into the dangerous occupation of espionage. However, if you had carried out your task successfully, we would have paid just as dearly for it as if it had been carried out by adults. ”That is why the judgment must be so harsh. "We have no choice but to reward fire with fire and blood with blood."

It goes on: “Perhaps you had no choice but to follow orders faithfully under the rule of your Nazi teachers. But their power over you ceased the moment you were behind our lines. Then you could have turned to the first best American soldier and confessed the truth to him; and no sorrow would have come over you. You acted differently. On the contrary, you tried to carry out the orders of your beloved leader and his hordes of criminals, who so bravely demanded this of you from their bombproof bunkers. "The accused are" both old and clever enough to see the consequences of your actions before your eyes hold. ”After their plan had failed, they would now“ pay the price ”.

The farewell letter

Her defense attorney, also an American officer, immediately submitted a petition for clemency. Her relatives were told that the sentence would in all likelihood be changed to 10 years' imprisonment and that the convicts would likely be released after the war ended. For weeks the boys waited for a decision. The Commanding General of the 9th Army, William H. Simpson, declined her appeal, upheld the verdict and ordered the death penalty to be carried out by shooting.

Heinz Petry was buried on June 4th in the main cemetery in Braunschweig, his co-fate Josef Schöner was buried next door in the Catholic cemetery. Meanwhile, shortly after the end of the war, the German bureaucracy was functioning properly again. Not only that the Braunschweiger Bote warned the residents of the city in May to submit their tax returns for 1944 immediately. The cemetery main cash desk immediately charged the relatives with 42.35 Reichsmark fees for Petry's funeral. This includes 12 Reichsmarks for a third-class single grave site and 50 pfennigs for the funeral director. Petry's body was then transferred to his home town of Euskirchen on December 13, 1948.

His execution on June 1, 1945, 75 years ago today, the 16-year-old had in his farewell letter also addressed a few lines to his younger brother that sound like a warning legacy: “You should serve your fatherland and show the world that it is there is also a peace-loving Germany, a Germany that has paid off the debts that a wrong government has put on it, because your generation will be given this task and be strong enough to solve it. "

Just one day after the start of their mission, Petry and Schöner were arrested by an American patrol in their hiding place near the village of Birgden north of Aachen between Heinsberg and Geilenkirchen. The two youths had managed to penetrate deep into the rear of the Allied deployment area. However, the speedy arrest suggests that they were only prepared extremely amateurishly for such a dangerous undertaking. Since the Americans had also largely evacuated the German civilian population because of the fighting and it was swarming with the military, the two young German civilians must have attracted attention. "It is regrettable that the German armed forces have humiliated themselves so far" After Petry and Schöner were first taken to Aachen prison, they were later transported to Mönchengladbach, where they were sentenced to death by a two-thirds majority for espionage on March 29, 1945 after a one-day trial by a court martial consisting of officers of the 9th US Army. Among other things, the verdict says: “It is extremely regrettable that the not so invincible German armed forces have humiliated themselves to such an extent as to induce young boys into the dangerous occupation of espionage. However, if you had carried out your task successfully, we would have paid just as dearly for it as if it had been carried out by adults. ”That is why the judgment must be so harsh. "We have no choice but to reward fire with fire and blood with blood." It goes on: “Perhaps you had no choice but to follow orders faithfully under the rule of your Nazi teachers. But their power over you ceased the moment you were behind our lines. Then you could have turned to the first best American soldier and confessed the truth to him; and no sorrow would have come over you. You acted differently. On the contrary, you tried to carry out the orders of your beloved leader and his hordes of criminals, who so bravely demanded this of you from their bombproof bunkers. "The accused are" both old and clever enough to see the consequences of your actions before your eyes hold. ”After their plan had failed, they would now“ pay the price ”. The farewell letter Her defense attorney, also an American officer, immediately submitted a petition for clemency. Her relatives were told that the sentence would in all likelihood be changed to 10 years' imprisonment and that the convicts would likely be released after the war ended. For weeks the boys waited for a decision. The Commanding General of the 9th Army, William H. Simpson, declined her appeal, upheld the verdict and ordered the death penalty to be carried out by shooting. Heinz Petry was buried on June 4th in the main cemetery in Braunschweig, his co-fate Josef Schöner was buried next door in the Catholic cemetery. Meanwhile, shortly after the end of the war, the German bureaucracy was functioning properly again. Not only that the Braunschweiger Bote warned the residents of the city in May to submit their tax returns for 1944 immediately. The cemetery main cash desk immediately charged the relatives with 42.35 Reichsmark fees for Petry's funeral. This includes 12 Reichsmarks for a third-class single grave site and 50 pfennigs for the funeral director. Petry's body was then transferred to his home town of Euskirchen on December 13, 1948. His execution on June 1, 1945, 75 years ago today, the 16-year-old had in his farewell letter also addressed a few lines to his younger brother that sound like a warning legacy: “You should serve your fatherland and show the world that it is there is also a peace-loving Germany, a Germany that has paid off the debts that a wrong government has put on it, because your generation will be given this task and be strong enough to solve it. "