Letter from Tom Kelly, Westover Field, Massachusetts, to Mrs. Brown : Correspondence 1946.

Format:

Book

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Summary:

Description: Tom Kelly, US Army, stationed at a Prisoner of War Camp in Westover Field, Massachusetts, to donor's grandmother, a Mrs. Brown. How Kelly ended up being reassigned at a POW camp in the United States from occupation duty in the Philippines; ring (possible a Totenkopfring') he was supposed to mail home to donor's mother and uncle; the ring was worn by member of 'Die SS-Totenkopfverbande (or Totenkopferband)' = The Death's Head Regiment 'whose members were sworn to kill all Russians ' not to take prisoners'; they were also reportedly concentration camp guards and the Russians have a price on each of the officer's heads and want Allied governments to turn them over to us the Russians; Kelly is acting as a Commanding Officer and Intelligence Officer at the German prisoner of war camp in Massachusetts; Kelly is looking through records to find German that could be tried as war criminals; relying on 'psychological effects' to find members of the SS; tells story of wearing the Death's Head Ring [SS-Ehrenring = "SS Honor Ring] while paying the prisoners - 'the prisoner was flustered and after interrogation he admitted he was an SS member and that there were others in the camp as well' - they were then sent to the Russian Zone of Occupation; the ring helped to catch war criminals; living in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Notes:

Description based on online resource (viewed on June 12, 2019).