Einseidel Execution May 22,1942 Morlaix

[kaki3152]

The book “The Easter Bunnies” (R. Gastager), is a short history of the Luftwaffe long range reconnaissance unit 3.(F)/123, written by one of the few survivors. Within the book, there is a photograph of the execution of Lt. Graf Johann-Georg v. Einsiedel on May 22,1942 at Morlaix Airfield. The caption to the photo is “Execution of Oberleutnant Einsiedl at Morlaix for cowardice in the face of the enemy.” (Photo #63). There is no additional information in the text of the book. The photo shows what appears to be all the Luftwaffe personal at Morlaix lined up by ranks. He was shot by a firing squad.

A previous posting (11/11/2009) theorized that the action occurred on a previous mission over the UK. In a book on the German Adel or noble born killed in WWII, there is a listing for Graf v Einsiedel with the notation that he was missing on a long range mission over the North Atlantic. There is no mention of an execution. I have a Xerox copy of the book, which is very interesting. This is the only outright lie I have noted in all the biographical information in this book.

It's quite obvious that Oblt Einsiedel was made an example “pour encourager les autres”. The question is why was he made such an example? It happened in the first half of 1942, before Germany really started losing the war. Why not just send him to a Luftwaffe infantry unit in the East or Torgau Prison? Also, because of his background it almost certainly had to be approved by Luftwaffe higher command, possibly including Hitler. I know, that the Luftwaffe issued 228 execution sentences in 1942, though I have no idea if all were carried out.

[VtwinVince]

The name is Einsiedel. Obviously a relation of the more famous member of JG3 who joined the Seydlitz group as a POW in Russia. The family was in the von Bismarck tree.

[kaki3152]

I think they were cousins, I have his book "I Joined the Russians"

[Chris Goss]

I am pretty sure this has been raised before on 12 OCH?

[kaki3152]

Yes, it was, on Nov 2009. I'm looking for more information or some discussion. Speculation welcome.

[ju55dk]

He is not mentioned in the file Strafsachen gegen LW Offiziere 1942.
Junker

[kaki3152]

His full name was Johann-Georg Ernst Donatus, Graf von Einsiedel

[ju55dk]

Perhaps you should order this:
PERS 6/233307
Einsiedel, Johann-Georg Graf von
Bestandsbezeichnung
Personalunterlagen von Angehörigen der Reichswehr und Wehrmacht
Unterlagenart
Personalakte
Alte Signatur
LP/65515
Benutzungsort
Freiburg

Junker

[kaki3152]

How do I go about ordering this? And how much does it cost?

[VtwinVince]

As an aside, I have a book by Franz-Florian Winter called Die deutschen Jagdflieger, in which he recounts an episode where Graf von Einsiedel tried to take part in a reunion of the Traditionsverband JG3 during the 1970's, and he was quickly shown the door as a notorious traitor.