KURT MEYER ON TRIAL: A DOCUMENTARY RECORD

In late 1945, a Canadian military court sitting in occupied Germany convicted Waffen-SS General Kurt Meyer on charges related to the murder of Canadian prisoners of war in Normandy.  It was Canada’s first entry into the war crimes field and the trial raised several important operational and legal issues, particularly with regard to command responsibility.  Although sentenced to death by firing squad, Meyer was saved by the controversial decision of Canadian military authorities to commute the sentence and was released after less than a decade of imprisonment in New Brunswick and West Germany.    Meyer’s war crimes trial and the final result caused consternation and outrage among the Canadian public at the time and remains among the most controversial episodes in Canadian military history.

This collection brings together previously unpublished documents related to Canada’s prosecution of Kurt Meyer, including the original trial transcript and selected materials to situate the trial into political, military, diplomatic, and legal context.  Augmented by an extensive introduction and bibliography of related works, these documents allow readers to understand the factors that led Canadian authorities to try Meyer for war crimes and to determine for themselves his relative guilt or innocence.  Canada’s involvement with the prosecution of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and establishment of the International Criminal Court makes the Meyer case especially relevant, and the concept of command responsibility is now embodied in domestic legislation like The Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.

Kurt Meyer on Trial: A Documentary Record will interest members of the military profession, legal practitioners, political decision-makers, as well as students of Canada’s participation in the Second World War.

P. Whitney Lackenbauer and Chris M.V. Madsen (eds.), Kurt Meyer on Trial: A Documentary Record (Canadian Defence Academy Press, 2007). xii, 697 pp.

Contents

Preface (Terry Copp)

Introduction (P. Whitney Lackenbauer and Chris M.V. Madsen)

Editors’ Note and Acknowledgements

A. LEGAL AND PRE-TRIAL DOCUMENTS

A1.      Regulations Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land Annexed to The Hague Convention (IV) (Signed at The Hague, 18 October 1907)

A2.       International Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (Signed at Geneva, 23 June 1929)

A3.      Manual Of Military Law 1929, Amendment No. 12 (1936): Chapter XIV

A4.      “History of the Hitler-Jugend Division,” by Bernhardt Meitzel

A5.      Minutes of Meeting held in Office of High Commissioner for Canada on Tuesday, 24 April 1945

A6.      War Crimes Regulations (Canada) P.C.  5831, 30 August 1945

A7.      Special Interrogation Report:  Brigadeführer Kurt Meyer

A8.      Confidential Memorandum, Lt.-Col. B.J.S. Macdonald to Brigadier R.J. Orde, 23 August 1945

A9.      Statement of Jean Marie Vico, 30 September 1945

A10.    Lt.-Col. B.J.S. Macdonald to Brigadier Orde, 21 October 1945

A11.    House of Commons Debates, 31 October 1945

A12.    Ross Munro, “Canada Will Conduct Trial of SS General,” Globe and Mail, 1 November 1945

A13.    House of Commons Debates, 1 November 1945

A14.    “Our Opinion,” The Maple Leaf, 15 November 1945

A15.    Top Secret Army Message, 3 Cdn Inf Div CAOF to JAG, 12 December 1945

 B. THE TRIAL OF KURT MEYER, DECEMBER 1945

B1.       ARRAIGNMENT (First Charge Sheet)

Findings of the First Charge Sheet

Sentence

B2.       CASE FOR PROSECUTION

Opening address

First Witness, Major J.J. Stonborough

Extract-Examination Grenadier Torbanisch

Torbanisch Orders

Second Witness, Alfred Helzel

Fourth Witness, SM Horst Heyer

Evidence of Lt-Col Charles Petch read from SHAEF Court of Inquiry

Diary of North Nova Scotia Highlanders, 7 June 1944

Extract from Record of Evidence of Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer, 15 Oct 1945

Fifth Witness, M. Constance Raymond Guilbert

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness C.R. Guilbert)

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness Capt J.R. Gauthier)

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness M.L. Lenoel)

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness Mme Bertha Fauvel)

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (3E) (Disposition of M. Maurice Guilbert)

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness M. Louis Alaperrine)

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness Major J.G. Learmont)

Affidavit Major J.G. Learmont

Sixth Witness, Sgt S. Dudka, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report

Extracts from Major Learmont’s affidavit

Extracts from SHAEF Court of Inquiry

Seventh Witness, Pte G.P. Talbot, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness Lt. J.L. Fairweather)

Eighth Witness, Major J.J. Stonborough

Extracts from SHAEF Supplemental Report, Exhibit no. 8, page 24

Extracts from Record of Evidence of UschF K.W. Becker

Affidavit of Capt. J.A. Trainor

Ninth Witness, Sgt W.L. McKay, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness M. Louis Marie)

Record of Evidence of Pte. A. Doolan, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Tenth Witness, Cpt W.T. McLeod, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Eleventh Witness, Pte J.A. Conrad, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Twelfth Witness, Pte R.J. Richards, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report Exhibit (Pte Doolan)

Record of Evidence of Pte Richards

Thirteenth Witness, Cpl J.R.B. Campbell, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Statement of Cpl J.R.B. Campbell

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness Pipe Major R.M. Stone)

Fourteenth Witness, Capt M. Bluteau

Fifteenth Witness, Lt-Col C.S. Campbell

Record of Evidence, T/4 S. Stern

Sixteenth Witness, SM Jan Jesionek

Extracts from Examination of Jan Jesionek, 3 Oct 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 28 May 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 30 May 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 29 May 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 17 Oct 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 4 Oct 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 28 May 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 5 Sept 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 29 May 1945

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 6 June 1945

Original Statement of SS Mann Jan Jesionek

Seventeenth Witness, Capt R.J. Pootmans

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Jan Jesionek, 29 May 1945

Eighteenth Witness, Mme Francine Vico

Nineteenth Witness, M. Jean Marie Vico

Twentieth Witness, Capt P.S. Bell

Twenty-first Witness, Lt Roger Cloutier

Twenty-second Witness, Capt N. Wallace

Twenty-third Witness, Lt-Col R.A.H. MacKeen

Extracts from SHAEF Authie Report (Witness Lt-Col R.A.H. MacKeen)

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Lt-Col R.A.H. MacKeen, 21 June 1945

Twenty-fourth Witness, Capt B.B. Wagman

Affidavit of ex-Lieut. Ian A. MacLean

Affidavit of Tpr Marcel J. Dagenais

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Pte E. Peters, North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Deposition of Andre Huard

Twenty-fifth Witness, OSF Meitzel

Twenty-sixth Witness, USF Bergmann

Twenty-seventh Witness, Daniel Lachevre

Fourteenth Witness (recalled), Capt M. Bluteau

Twenty-sixth Witness (recalled), USF Bergmann

Twenty-eighth Witness, SS Mann Herman Sue

Twenty-ninth Witness, RF E. Wetsel

Thirtieth Witness, Hauptmann F. Steger

Twenty-fourth Witness (recalled), Capt B.B. Wagman

Record of Evidence of SS Mann A. Helzel, 3 July 1945

Extracts from SHAEF Court of Inquiry of Kurt Meyer’s Evidence

Extracts from Record of Evidence of Kurt Meyer, 15 Oct 1945

B3.       CASE FOR DEFENCE

First Witness, Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer

Second Witness, OSF B. Meitzel

Fourteenth Witness for Prosecution (recalled), Capt M. Bluteau

Third Witness, Standartenfuhrer Max Wuensche

Fourth Witness, USF Bergmann

B4.       REBUTTAL

First Witness (recalled), M. Daniel Lachevre

Second Witness (recalled), M. Jean Marie Vico

Third Witness (recalled), SM Jan Jesionek

First Witness (recalled), M. Daniel Lachevre

Extract from SHAEF Supplementary Report Exhibit No. 8, page 41

B5.       ADDRESSES

Closing address – Defence

Closing address – Prosecution

Summing up by Judge Advocate

B6.       CHARACTER

First Witness, General Hanz Eberbach

Second Witness, Mrs. Kate Meyer

Third Witness, Haupt Fritz Steger

Fourth Witness, Capt J.A. Renwick

Address by Accused in mitigation

Sentence

After the Trial

THE PROSECUTOR’S REPORT ON THE TRIAL

B7.       Lt-Col (B.J.S. Macdonald) to Deputy Adjutant General, 12 January 1946

C. THE DECISION TO COMMUTE MEYER’S SENTENCE

C1.       Petition of Major General Kurt Meyer against the Sentence of a Military Court to Major General C. Vokes, 31 December 1945

C2.       Secret Message from C. Vokes to Murchie, 5 January 1946

C3.       Major-General C. Vokes to Dr. Wilhelm Schapp, 6 January 1946

C4.       Memorandum re Conference held at 10.30 hours, 9 January 1946, in the Office of the High Commissioner

C5.       Maj-Gen C. Vokes to CMHQ, 13 January 1946

C6.       Cabinet Conclusions, 16 January 1946

C7.       National Defence (Army) Public Relations Press Release, 16 January 1945

C8.       Secret Telegram from Vincent Massey to External Affairs

C9.       R. Martineau to Minister of National Defence, 16 January 1946

C10.     A.J. Windell to Department of Justice, 16 January 1946

C11.     Official Statement, Major General”C Vokes,” 21 January 1946

C12.     Army Message, 22 January 1946

C13.     Excerpt from the Globe and Mail, 24 January 1946

C14.     Betty Glass to War Department, 25 January 1946

C15.     Malcolm MacDonald to the Rt. Hon. Viscount Addison, 28 January 1946

D. TRANSFER TO CANADA AND IMPRISONMENT AT DORCHESTER PENITENTIARY

D1.      Memorandum for the Secretary of State for External Affairs, January 1946

D2.      Deputy Adjutant General to Canadian High Commissioner, January 1946

D3.      Deputy Minister (Army) to Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs, 13 February 1946

D4.      Cabinet Conclusions, 21 February 1946

D5.      Memorandum for the Secretary of State for External Affairs, February 1946

D6.      Mrs. Nellie Winter to Department of National Defence, 25 February 1946

D7.      Lieut.-General J.C. Murchie, Chief of Staff, Canadian Military Headquarters

D8.      House of Commons Debates, 7 May 1946

D9.      Kurt Meyer, Drawer “A,” Dorchester, to Colonel Andrew, 30 June 1946

D10.    Kurt Meyer to Mrs. Kate Meyer, 11 August 1946

D11.    Kurt Meyer to Lt. General G. Simonds, 5 December 1946

D12.    Gisellier Reutshce to Kurt Meyer, 10 March 1947

D13.    Dr. Schapp, to General Kurt Meyer, 16 June 1947

D14.    Kurt Meyer to Dr. W. Schapp, 5 August 1947

D15.    Segretaria di Stato di Sua Santita, Vaticano, to His Britannic Majesty’s Legation to the Holy See, 4 February 1948

D16.    E.R. Hopkins to Deputy Minister of Justice, 16 June 1948

D17.    Confidential Report, Eastern Command Chaplain (Army), 15 March 1949

D18.    Confidential Report, Eastern Command Chaplain (Army), 9 May 1949

D19.    Confidential Report, Eastern Command Chaplain (Army) to Principal Chaplain (P) (Army), 1 November and 2 December 1949

D20.    Ralph Allen, “Was Kurt Meyer Guilty?,” Maclean’s Magazine, 1 February 1950

D21.    Kurt Meyer, Dorchester, to H.P. McKeen [sic], Halifax, 27 March 1950

D22.    Confidential Report, Eastern Command Chaplain (Army), Halifax, to Principal Chaplain (P) (Army), Ottawa, re: visit with Kurt Meyer at Dorchester Penitentiary, 17 April 1950

E. APPEALS AND MEYER’S TRANSFER TO GERMANY

E1.       Kurt Meyer, Dorchester, N.B., to H.P. McKeen [sic], Halifax, N.S., 14 July 1949

E2.       Cabinet Conclusions, Ottawa, 16 March 1950

E3.       Petition of Kurt Meyer, December 1950

E4.       House of Commons Debates, 5 February 1951

E5.       House of Commons Debates, 6 February 1951

E6.       Cabinet Conclusions, Ottawa, 7 February 1951

E7.       W.C. Ross to [Canadian Members of Parliament], 15 February 1951

E8.       United Mine Workers of America, Stellarton, Nova Scotia to Minister of Justice, 9 March 1951

E9.       Cabinet Document D304, Secret, Memorandum to Cabinet War Committee, 11 September 1951

E10.     Cabinet Conclusions, 12 September 1951

E11.     Minutes From Cabinet Defence Committee Meeting, 12 September 1951

E12.     Cabinet Conclusions, 21 September 1951

E13.     Canadian High Commissioner, London, to Secretary of State for External Affairs, 5 October 1951

E14.     Secret, A.D.P. Heeney, Memorandum for the Minister, 16 October 1951

E15.     Cabinet Conclusions, 17 October 1951

E16.     Cabinet Conclusions, 18 October 1951

E17.     Order for Transfer of Brigadefeuhrer Kurt Meyer from Dorchester Penitentiary to Werl Prison, 18 October 1951

E18.     R.G. Rowcliffe, “Classification Officer’s Report on 2265 – Meyer, Kurt,” 19 October 1951

E19.     Col. George T. Goad, “Kurt Meyer Was My Star Prisoner,” Weekend Magazine (1959)

E20.     Cabinet Conclusions, Ottawa, 22 October 1951

E21.     House of Commons Debates, 22 October 1951

E22.     House of Commons Debates, 23 October 1951

E23.     Confidential Message, Canadian High Commissioner, London, to Secy of State for External Affairs, 7 November 1951

E24.     Dr. Wilhelm Schapp to the Governor of the Allied National Prison, Werl, 12 November 1951

E25.     Douglas How, “Gen. Meyer Out On Pass From Prison,” Globe and Mail, 26 November 1951

E26.     House of Commons Debates, 26 November 1951

E27.     House of Commons Debates, 28 November 1951

E28.     Translation of an article published in Westfalenpost on 28 November 1951

E29.     Extract from the British Parliamentary Report, 3 December 1951

E30.     Kurt Meyer to Lt.Col. E.R. Vickers, 4 December 1951

E31.     Lt.Col. E.R. Vickers to Office of the Legal Advisor, British Army of the Rhine, 4 December 1951

E32.     Translation of an article published in Die Welt on 15 December 1951

E33.     Lakehead “Unity” Club, National Federation of Labour Youth, Port Arthur, Ontario to Minister of Justice, 14 January 1952

E34.     Office of the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, 17 January 1952

E35.     Reimund Konar to Herr Meyer, 3 February 1952

E36.     Legal/E.R. Rettie/MAW, 4 February 1952

F. THE DECISION TO RELEASE MEYER

F1.       House of Commons Debates,  5 December 1951

F2.       House of Commons Debates,  6 December 1951

F3.       House of Commons Debates, 10 December 1951

F4.       House of Commons Debates, 17 December 1951

F5.       Cabinet Conclusions, Ottawa, 20 December 1951

F6.       Ray Gardner, “Wanter For Murder: S.S. Brigadefuhrer Kurt Meyer”

F7.       K.J. Burbridge to the Canadian Ambassador, Bonn, 15 January 1952

F8.       Newspaper clipping, “War Crimes,” 5 February 1952

F9.       Dr. Wilhelm Schapp to Herr General Kurt Meyer, 27 February 1952

F10.     Minutes From Cabinet Defence Committee Meeting, 26 August 1952

F11.     Translated excerpt of a letter from Kurt Meyer to Kate Meyer, February 1953

F12.     Secret Notes on Canadian-German Conversations, Visit of Chancellor, Federal Republic of Germany, to Ottawa, 18 April 1953

F13.     Excerpts from Brooke Claxton Papers regarding Kurt Meyer, 1953

F14.     Dr. Schapp to Herr General Meyer, 27 April 1953

F15.     Dr. Schapp to the Canadian Prime Minister and affidavit by Luise Schapp, 15 June 1953

F16.     Petition of Dr. Phil Schapp to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, 8 August 1953

F17.     Petition of Dr. Phil Schapp to the Prime Minister of Canada, 8 August 1953

F18.     Cabinet Conclusions, Ottawa, 13 August 1953

F19.     G.C. Crean to P.F. Hancock, 24 August 1953

F20.     Telegram from Marienheide to PanzerMeyer, 27 September 1953

F21.     Colonel R.A. Bennett, 10 October 1953

F22.     Dr. Busch, Prison Doctor, Werl Prison to British Governor, 30 October 1953

F23.     Governor’s Report for War Criminals’ Review Board, 30 October 1953

F24.     Mixed Consultative Board Case Report and Recommendation 26 November 1953

F25.     Colonel R.A. Bennett, 2 December 1953

F26.     W.D. Allen to Japan and Pacific Department, Foreign Office, 15 December 1953

F27.     Report of Sherwood Lett on the Proceedings of the Mixed Consultative Board (British Zone), Germany, to the Minister of National Defence, 6 January 1954

F28.     Recommendation of Sherwood Lett to the Minister of National Defence, 6 January 1954

F29.     Office of the Legal Adviser, U.K. High Commission, Bad Godesberg, to High Commissioner, 7 January 1954

F30.     Minister of National Defence to His Excellency the Governor General, 15 January 1954

F31.     Cabinet Conclusions, 11 January 1954

F32.     Cabinet Conclusions, 15 January 1954

F33.     Order-in-Council P.C. 1954-75, 15 January 1954

F34.     House of Commons Debates, 15 January 1954

F35.     House of Commons Debates, 25 January 1954

F36.     Excerpt of a letter from Kate Meyer to Kurt Meyer, c.27 January 1954

F37.     C.M. Drury to Dr. Wilhelm Schapp, 2 February 1954

F38.     House of Commons Debates, 26 March 1954

F39.     House of Commons Debates, 21 May 1954

F40.     M.P.P. Herchesroder to H.W. Evans, 11 June 1954

F41.     H.W. Evans to M.P.P. Herchenroder, 21 June 1954

F42.     Office of the Legal Adviser U.K. High Commission in Germany to Acting High Commissioner, 7 August 1954

F43.     V.C. Moore to Mr Herchenroder, 7 May 1954

F44.     Remission Board Order, 13 August 1954

F45.     H.S. Meech to the Legal Adviser, UK High Commission, Bad Godesberg, 8 September 1954

G. RESPONSES TO THE RELEASE OF KURT MEYER

G1.      “Two War Criminals Released,” British Information Services Press Release, 7 September 1954

G2.      Confidential Minute Sheet, U.K. High Commissioner, 8 September 1954

G3.      Article published in the Essener Tageblatt on 8 September 1954

G4.      Article published in the Wilhelms Zeitung on 8 September 1954

G5.      Article published in Werler Anzeiger on 8 September 1954

G6.      C.S.A. Ritchie to the Undersecretary of State for External Affairs, 10 September 1954

G7.      Article published in the Beobachter An Der Haar on 16 September 1954

G8.      Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs to Secretary of State for External Affairs, 9 November 1954

G9.      House of Commons Debates, 24 January 1955

G10.    H.S. Meech to the Legal Branch, British Embassy, Bonn, 12 December 1955

G11.    Starnes, Canadian Embassy, Bonn to External Affairs, 16 December 1955

G12.    House of Commons Debates, 19 July 1956

G13.    Omar Anderson, “Kurt Meyer: Germany’s New Beer Hall Hero,” Weekend Magazine, 2 February 1957

Waffen-SS Ranks with their U.S. and British/Canadian Equivalents

Glossary

Selected Bibliography