Boos third statement (made at Saarbrücken on 14 January 1966)

This statement forms a part of what I am calling, The Dortmund Hearings, which commenced in 1962 and ran on for several years. This particular hearing was used to try and determine the involvement and guilt (if any) of Otto Erich Kahn, who had been the second-in-command during the attack on Oradour-sur-Glane.

These statement was taken by means of a face-to-face interview between the subject and a Prosecuting Attorney, with a Justice Secretary present to take a transcript of the proceedings.

The man previously known as Georges René Boos and now signing himself as Georg René Boos made at least three statements concerning Oradour, of which this is the third. This particular statement is different to the previous two, in that it concerns the involvement of Hauptsturmführer Otto Erich Kahn, rather than that of Brigadeführer Lammerding, the commanding officer of the 2nd SS-Panzer Division Das Reich. During the later part of the German investigation into the affair of Oradour, some time was spent in determining the degree of guilt and involvement of people other than Lammerding and Kahn was one of them. There are further statements shown in these Appendices, made by Kahn, which are in response to accusations made in Germany, which would have denied him his war pension, on the ground that he was a war-criminal.

Boos began by stating that he was not related in any way to Kahn and that in early 1944 he had become a member of the 3rd Company of the SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment Der Führer (part of the Das Reich Division). Previous to 1944, he had been with various SS units. When he arrived at the Regiment, Stadler was the commander, Diekmann (spelled correctly for once) had been a Battalion Commander and Kahn the leader of the 3rd Company. During 1944, the command of the Regiment was handed over to Weidinger, who held it until the wars end. (all these statements are correct and agree with many other sources).

Boos went on to say that prior to the attack on Oradour, the Regiment was quartered around Limoges and that he, "as a simple soldier" could not say where the plan for the destruction of Oradour originated (this sounds entirely believable to me; Boos was not privy to the deliberations of the senior ranks, he was, as he stated, just a "simple soldier"). He went on to say that they got their orders in the usual way, from their next-in-line superiors.

The rest of Boos statement took the form of answers to questions put by the interrogator and curiously, the questions are not in the file, only the answers. Nevertheless, the questions can be easily inferred and Boos supplied answers to the effect that:

1) At Oradour, Diekmann was the senior officer present and that he was responsible for what happened.

2) Hauptsturmführer Kahn was also present and he was the commander of the 3rd Company.

3) Diekmann was in command and everyone, including Kahn, had to do as he ordered. Kahn had no choice, but to obey. Kahn could possibly have hindered the execution of orders, but would have had to have taken responsibility for doing so and Boos had not seen any evidence that this had happened.

4) Boos stated that he got his orders from his next-in-line superior, who got his from his next-in-line and so on all the way to Diekmann and that this was just like any other war-time deployment.

Boos's final point was that as the case of Oradour was heard before the Military Court at Bordeaux in 1953, much more information could be had from the file there, than he could personally provide. (and this was undoubtedly true).

State bureau of criminal investigation: KJ T/C - 652/65 - at Saarbrücken, on 14. 1. 1966

The summoned insurance-employee appears:

Georg René Boos.

Born on the 25. 8. 1925 in Keskastel / France and now resident in Germany at: 29 Jahnstraße Riegelsberg.

and stated:

"A statement of my rights was given to me before my interrogation began. With the accused Kahn, I am neither related by blood or by marriage. I am willing to testify to the police.

It is true that I was a member of the 3^rd Company of the SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment, Der Führer. On the 31^st March 1941 I was called-up for an SS-Unit. Until 1944, I was with different SS-Units. Early in 1944, I was moved to the Panzer Grenadier Regiment, Der Führer.

When I was incorporated into the Regiment, Stadler was the Regimental Commander, Diekmann was Battalion Commander and Kahn was the leader of the 3^rd Company.

During 1944, the Regimental leadership was handed over to Weidinger. He led the Regiment until the end of the war.

At the action in Oradour, the Regiment concerned lay at Limoges. The Regiments companies were dispersed in the near surroundings. Where the plan for the annihilation of Oradour was discussed, I as a simple soldier, a member of the 3^rd Company, I cannot say.

We got the commands from our next-in-line superiors.

To Question 1)

At the action in Oradour, Diekmann, as the senior SS-Leader was responsible. I saw him at this action myself.

To Question 2)

The SS-Hauptsturmführer Kahn was also present at the action in Oradour. He was employed as the company commander of the 3^rd company.

To Question 3

To this question I cannot make any statements. Normally it was always that the highest rank present had the command and the responsibility. In my opinion it was also the case at Oradour, so that the orders of Diekmann to the 3^rd company overruled Kahn. Kahn could not (I think) act on his own in the presence of his superior. At the most he could have hindered the execution of commands in which he saw an illegal action. Then he would have had to taken the responsibility for it also. To my knowledge Kahn did not prevent the execution of commands at the action in Oradour.

To Question 4

I can take no position to this question. I can only say that after the action there was nothing left of Oradour. At the action I was in the front-line and did not see my company commander (Kahn). I got my orders from the group leader, who got his from the platoon leader, who I assume got his from the company leader (Kahn). The use of the company in Oradour was like any other war-time use.

The case of Oradour was heard before the Military Court at Bordeaux in 1953. In this file the actions of each SS-Leader were recorded. All the issues could, in my opinion, be clarified properly through the use of this file".

Read, approved and signed.... Georg Boos

Wolff (KHW)

Philippi (KK)

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