NATIONAL SOCIALISTIC GERMAN WORKERS PARTY
Party-Chancellory The Head of the Party-Chancellory Fuehrer headquarters, the 30.5.1944 [Fuehrerhauptquartier]
SECRET
[Receipt Stamp]
CHANCELLORY ROSENBERG Dated 7 June 1944 Nr. 041 K (Marked) Shown to RL 7/6
. Circular Letter 125/44 Secret (not for publication)
Concerns: Justice exercised by the people against Anglo-American murderers.
In the last few weeks low-flying English and American flyers have repeatedly shot children playing in squares, women and children at work in the fields, peasants plowing, vehicles on the highways, trains, etc. from a low altitude with their aircraft guns [Bordwaffen], and have thus murdered defenseless civilians— particularly women and children—in the vilest manner.
Several instances have occurred where members of the crews of such aircraft who have bailed out or have made forced landings were lynched on the spot immediately after capture by the populace which was incensed to the highest degree.
No police measures or criminal proceedings were invoked against the German civilians who participated in these incidents.
signed M. BORMANN.
Distributed List:
Members of the Executive Board of the NSDAP [Reichsleiter] Régional leaders [Gauleiter]
Leaders of the incorporated and affiliated organizations of the Party [Verbandefuehrer]
District leaders [Kreisleiter]
[STAMPED]
For Cognizance to
1) Staff Leader [Stableiter]
2) Central Office
Authenticated :
Friedrichs
30.5.1944
To all Province and District Leaders :
Concerns: Circular letter 125/44 Secret.
The leader of the Party-Chancellory requests that the local group leaders [Ortagruppenleiter] be instructed concerning the content of this circular letter orally only.
signed: FRIEDRICHS
Authenticated :
Karms
Circular letter to party and regional officials, noting that German civilians have killed Allied airmen who attacked civilian targets, and no police or judicial actions have been taken
Authors
Martin Bormann (Chief, Party Chancellery, deputy to Hess, then Hitler)
Martin Bormann
German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery (1900-1945)
- Born: 1900-07-17 1900-06-17 (Halberstadt)
- Died: 1945-05-02 (Berlin)
- Country of citizenship: German Empire; Nazi Germany; Weimar Republic
- Occupation: farmer; military personnel; politician
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Member of: Schutzstaffel
- Participant in: Aryanization; International Military Tribunal (role: defendant; since: 1945-11-19)
- Military rank: Obergruppenführer; soldier
Helmut Friedrichs (or Friedrich) (Bormann's deputy in party chancellery)
Helmut Friedrichs (or Friedrich)
- Additional details not yet available.
Date: 30 May 1944
Literal Title: Concerns: Justice exercised by the people against Anglo-American murderers.
Defendant: Martin Bormann
Total Pages: 2
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-057
Citations: IMT (page 2814), IMT (page 5285)
HLSL Item No.: 453135
Document Summary
PS-57: Circular letter 125144 signed M. Bormann subject: Justice oxercized by the people against Anglo-American murderers
PS-57: Secret circular letter from Bormann to the political leaders, 30 May 1944, concerning "lynch-justice" (volksjustiz) against Anglo-american low-altitude flyers; and circular letter, 30 May 1944, concerning notification of subordinate offices
PS-57: Secret Circular letter by Bormann (certified typewritten signature), Chief of the Party Chancellery, to all Reichsleiters, Gauleiters, Kreisleiters and other NSDAP leaders, dated 30 May 1944. (This copy went to Reichsleiter Rosenberg).14/29
Cover letter, dated 30 May 1944, from Friedrichs, (of the Party Chancellery) to all Gauleiters and Kreisleiters, informs them that the contents of this circular are to be communicated "orally only" to all Ortsgruppenleiters.