On October 15, 1946, at night, taking poison, Hermann Goering committed suicide, man No. 2 in the Third Reich and criminal No. 1 at the Nuremberg trials.
A specially created commission found that the American military authorities, in charge of protecting the criminals, were not responsible for what had happened, and the investigation was dropped. And 15 years later, the director of a high school in Louisville (Texas) Ben Schwiringen, collecting materials about the Second World War, revealed the secret of Goering's suicide and came to the exact opposite conclusions.
Ben Schweringen's book "The Mystery of the Suicide of Hermann Goering"
The scrupulousness and thoroughness of the search conducted by Ben Schweringen, his iron logic in comparing facts and assumptions were reflected in his book "The Mystery of the Suicide of Hermann Goering", published by him;, a member of the Soviet delegation, who wrote the book “On the eve of reckoning. Nuremberg Trials. Memories".
Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering.
Goring's surrender to the Americans
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After Hitler's death, the SS did not feel a great desire to carry out his order to shoot Goering, and he and his family moved towards the American troops in the hope of finding protection, surrendering to the very first American. Senior Lieutenant Jerome Shapiro became him. At first, the attitude towards Goering was courteous, and he hoped to meet with General Eisenhower as an equal with an equal.
A few days later, the Reichsmarschall explained his true position - his name is at the top of the list of the main war criminals. Eisenhower ordered Goering to be treated like an ordinary prisoner of war and sent to Augsburg for a prompt investigation.
In Augsburg, Goering was greeted coldly and subjected to "processing" - it included the seizure of weapons, awards, valuables, cash, almost everything except toiletries and necessary clothing. After processing, they were taken to a modest room in the vicinity of the city.
Palace of Justice in Nuremberg.
The next day he was invited to an evening cocktail with the commandant: the Americans understood that the surest way to get the necessary information from Goering was to give him the opportunity to relax, imagining himself as the "host" of evening meetings, the atmosphere at which was so relaxed that Goering and other "guests" sang American and German songs to the accordion.
As soon as the necessary information was pumped out of Goering, the "receptions" ended and a report was sent to the headquarters, in which, in particular, it was noted that Goering was by no means a comic figure, as they write about him in the press. He is distinguished by enviable composure and calculation, he immediately grasps the essence of the issues discussed. He is undoubtedly a personality that should not be underestimated. And although he tried to downplay the scale of the crimes committed by Germany, he said enough to be held responsible for Germany's policy and for the war itself.
Goering's official arrest as a Nazi criminal
On May 20, 1945, Goering was taken to Mondorf. High-ranking Nazis were gathered in the fashionable Palace Hotel, turned into a prison. The building was fenced with a fence with watchtowers with searchlights at each corner, guards were posted, the windows were covered with wire mesh. In each room, removing the traces of the former luxury, they put a bunk, a small table and one or two chairs.
Upon examination of Goering's belongings, a huge amount of paracodein was found in one of the suitcases. Andrews, the commandant of the Mondorf camp, immediately reported this to his superiors, indicating that Goering's dose was twenty times the normal dose, expressing the fear that withdrawing the pills could put Goering in an inadequate state. To which Andrews was replied: “We are concerned about Goering's state of health insofar as we would like to find out a lot from him. After that we will not be interested in what will happen to him."
High-ranking Nazi officials and military officers at the Palace Hotel, Mondorf.
Goering at the Nuremberg Prison
As soon as the interrogations were over, the prisoners were transferred to the Nuremberg prison. There was no longer the freedom that Mondorf had. Goering was placed in cell No. 5. Here Goering learned that he would spend the rest of his life in complete isolation.
There was nothing in the cell, except for a bed attached to the floor, a table, a chair, which was placed only during the day, and a toilet. To exclude the possibility of suicide, the electrical wiring was removed, all metal objects from the walls, the window glass was replaced with plexiglass. Through the peephole, a guard watched the prisoner. The light was on in the cell all night, but Goering was not allowed to turn away from the light or cover his head with a blanket.
The solitary cell in which Goering was held.
When the prisoners were taken to court, the cells were thoroughly searched. And yet, before the trial, the former head of the German Labor Front, Robert Leigh, hanged himself on a towel in the toilet.
To avoid a repetition of such a case, on the day the trial began, the cells of Hess, Goering, Jodl, Ribbentrop and Keitel were searched.
Ribbentrop had several pills wrapped in paper and a sharp metal object two inches long in his belt; Jodl had a nail, a piece of wire, nine different pills. Keitel was hiding a small piece of metal, aspirin tablets, belladonna, a screw and two nails. Goering and Hess were "clean".
Lunch of the defendants of the Nuremberg Trials.
Until October 1, 1946 - the day of the sentencing - prisoners were allowed to walk in the prison yard. Now they could leave their cells only by handcuffed guards.
The last days of a war criminal
Since October 7, the day of the last date with his wife, Goering refused to leave the cell, even to the shower, and removed all family photographs from the table. I folded them in an envelope and sent them to my lawyer.
On October 15, he spent most of the day reading a German book lying down. Received and wrote several letters.
At about 8.30 am Dr. Pflucker entered Goering's cell. Guard Parton, who was accompanying him, said that upon entering the cell, the doctor checked Goering's pulse. Pfluker (followed by Parton) left the cell. Parton had no idea what the Germans were talking about, and did not remember that Pflucker gave Goering any medicine, gave him anything, or left him in the cell.
At 9.50 am, the guard Odum and the prison barber, a German employee, entered Goering's cell. Odum noticed nothing suspicious.
At about 3.30 pm, Otto, a German librarian, brought a book to Görnig, which had first been checked by a security guard, as well as some writing paper.
Tea (or coffee) was brought to Goering, and the doctor entered, accompanied by a guard. They sat and talked for about 10 minutes, the doctor handed him a white envelope, which he put on the table. Then the doctor and the guard left. Goering took the envelope and, with his right hand, poured what looked like white powder into the tea.
Between 19.30 and 19.45 Chaplain Gerecke, whom Goering had known well during his months in Nuremberg, came for a farewell visit. At about 9.20 pm Lieutenant Dowd, passing by the camera, saw that "Goering was lying on his back and his hands were on top of the blanket, it seemed that he was asleep." But Goering did not sleep. He was waiting for Dr. Pflucker. Lieutenant McLinden and Pflucker entered Goering's cell at 21.30. The doctor gave Goering a pill, which he swallowed, then checked his pulse. Goering said goodbye to Pflucker by the hand.
View of the dock.
Testimonies of the guards on duty before the suicide
Of particular interest are the testimonies of the guards Bingham and Johnson, who were on duty at Goering's cell during the last hours of his life. Bingham says: “When I looked into the camera, I saw that Goering was lying on his back in bed, wearing boots, trousers and a jacket, holding a book. He lay motionless for about fifteen minutes, then began to restlessly move his arms, brought his right hand to his forehead, rubbing it. At 10.30 pm Bingham was replaced by Johnson, who, in fact, witnessed Goering's suicide.
Death of Goering
He says that at this time Goering was lying on his back, his arms were stretched out over the blanket. He lay motionless until about 22.40, then brought his hands with intertwined fingers to his chest and turned his head to the wall. I lay there for 2-3 minutes, again put my hands along my body. The clock showed 22.44. After 2-3 minutes, a wheeze was heard from the cell - Goering was gasping for breath. Johnson immediately called the sergeant … And Colonel Andrews well remembered the night of October 15, 1946. He was in the security room with members of the Quadripartite Commission, "discussing the final details of the execution." At that time a guard ran in shouting “Hurry, chaplain! Goering has a seizure. " Andrews ran into the cell after Gereke.
Defendant G. Goering answers the questions of the prosecutor R. Jackson during the Nuremberg trials.
Panic at the Nuremberg Prison
Someone handed him a piece of paper found in Goring's hand. He took it and, without reading it, carried it to the commission room. Andrews later explained that since Göring was in his charge, he was responsible for everything that happened, and if he read the note, then a "prejudice" might arise against him.
The members of the Quadripartite Commission reacted with disbelief to Andrews' message and went to the cell. “I will never forget,” Lieutenant Jean Willis recounted how the Russian general hit Goering in the face. The English general asked why he did it, and the Russian replied: “It is impossible to pretend to be dead. The eyes will keep moving"
Goering's death caused panic among the prison staff. There was even a proposal to hang the corpse. But this option was rejected - too many already knew about Goering's suicide to keep it a secret.
Goering and Hesse at the Nuremberg Court hearing.
On the morning of October 16, Gene Willis was ordered to move Goering's body to the gym and place it next to others. The bodies of the executed were photographed and placed in coffins. The ropes used for hanging were put there.
By 9.00 the coffins were delivered to the crematorium, which was cordoned off by American guards that day. The cremation lasted all day until 11 p.m. The next day, a group of officers opened the aluminum urns over the small Konwentzbach stream, which flows into the Izar River, and the ashes were poured into the water.
Goering's suicide report
After the bodies of the executed were taken out of prison, Colonel Andrews made a statement to the press that Goering had not been hanged, but had committed suicide at 10:45 p.m. the day before by taking potassium cyanide.
The colonel also added that an investigation is underway. The announcement stunned everyone in the press room, as some of the correspondents had already telegraphed impatiently to their newspapers that Goering was the first to be hanged.
Goeringg listens to the prosecution.
His death was a shock and personally for Andrews as the prison commandant, who put a lot of effort into the smooth conduct of the process and the execution of the execution. By his act, Goering nullified all of Andrews' efforts.
Investigation into Goering's suicide
The Goering Suicide Commission was formed by oral order from Brigadier General Ricard, the American representative to the Quadripartite Commission. A detailed list was drawn up of everything that was in Goering's cell, the bed and bedding were subjected to a thorough search. In the presence of members of the commission, Dr. Roska and Margin examined the corpse, which had been transferred from the cell to the gym.
A copper cartridge-container, particles of a substance taken in the umbilical region, a cellophane envelope containing white powder, putty from the chamber window and a Goering tube were sent to a laboratory in Frankfurt for research.
On October 19, Goering's personal belongings were examined in the prison cell. Another copper cartridge with an ampoule was found in a jar of cream in a travel bag.
Gerring (who lost 20 kg during the steam process) with his protector.
The commission noted that Goering could commit suicide easily and at a time of his own choosing. Consequently, the prison's security system was not effective enough. As a result of the investigation, the commission concluded that Goering had poisoned during the entire period of his detention.
It was noted that all high-ranking Nazis in the last days of the war received ampoules with poison: that the ampoule was found in Goering's personal belongings when he was taken to Mondorf. and one more - in the locker four days after his death. And "since two such ampoules were found in Goering's personal belongings, it is logical to assume that the third was with him."
Independent investigation by B. Schweringen
In April 1976, B. Schwerigen visited a small town in Texas, where he met with Mrs. Willis, the widow of an officer who served in the Nuremberg prison.
She showed me the souvenirs given to her husband by Goering: a gold fountain pen with Goering's name on it, a Swiss watch, a gold cigarette case. All of these gifts, Mrs Willis said, were made to her husband “for the kindness shown on behalf of Mrs Goering.
Schwerigen bought these things from the widow and, after checking Andrews' book with the inventory of Goering's personal belongings in the prison locker, he found that at least two souvenirs - a fountain pen and a watch - were listed there.
Announcement of the verdict at the Nuremberg trials.
Whether Jack Willis was involved in Goering's suicide
Some people who knew Jack Willis from Nuremberg remember him as a courteous and pleasant person, very sociable. Eugene Phillips, while a lieutenant, recalled that Jack is one of the most colorful figures he remembers in Nuremberg. Willis was an entertaining storyteller and often referred to his contacts with Goering in his comrades' stories.
But Dr. Rosca, for example, spoke of him as being "vicious with the mind of a juvenile delinquent." And he believed that he could well have passed the poison to Goering.
Brit Bailey, a former translator at the trial and being well acquainted with Willis, also considered it most likely that it was he who gave the ampoule of poison to Goering. He emphasized the extreme unscrupulousness of D. Willis in relations with both Goering and with other prisoners, receiving gifts from them.
Colonel Wilson, who was also serving in Nuremberg at the time, said that there was a lot of talk among the officers about the close relationship of the former Reichsmarshal and Officer Willis. The rumors intensified after Jack suddenly disappeared.
It was later revealed that after Goering's suicide D. Willis was dismissed from the service "for non-compliance." This was another confirmation that Jack Willis could have helped Goring in the first place. But how and why did he do it? It is hard to believe that self-interest was guiding him. B. Schwiringen is convinced that Willis acted on motives that had nothing to do with bribery.
The corpse of Goering, who committed suicide.
Willis and Goering - friendship or self-interest?
Willis's widow assured that her husband liked Goering and they practically became friends. She kept a large photograph of her husband with Goering, on which the Reichsmarschall had signed "The Big Hunter from Texas."
Willis also kept a book autographed by Goering on September 28, 1946, "In sincere gratitude for your human kindness and best wishes for the future."
Most likely, the decision to pass on the poison was motivated by feelings of pity for a friend who had resigned himself to dying but wanted to avoid being hanged. Since the cell where the perpetrator was kept was regularly searched, the capsule was probably in the storage room and Willis had access there.
Dr. Pflucker recalled that the prisoners entered there accompanied by an American officer and even claimed that he knew about Goering's access to his personal belongings several days before the execution. And the American officer who most likely accompanied Goering on one of his last days was Jack Willis. After all, all he had to do was look the other way while Goering took the poison.
The guards of Goering's cell confirmed that on the last day Goering was not particularly worried about the impending execution, behaved lively on the eve of meeting with the executioner. Of course, he knew that thanks to an American friend he would be spared the gallows.