Annexure VI

At the beginning of August 1944, GISKES, through Major KIESEWETTER, who was at that time commanding FAT-356, requested an interview with Brigade führer NAUMANN, head of the SD and SIPO in Holland. The Interview took place at The Hague on August 10^th, and it was GISKES first meeting with NAUMANN since January 1944, when the SIPO had attempted to hold GISKES resonsible for the escape of the five 'Nordpole' agents from Haaren. He had appenently asserted that if these men had been shot as spies, the affair would never have been 'blown' to England.
At the interview KIESEWETTER and a certain Obersturmbahnführer DEPPNER of the SIPO, Holland were also present. The reasons for the meeting were as follows:

a) For several months past, FAT-365 had not been informed by the SIPO of important investigations which they had conducted in Holland, into the Dutch sabotage and resistance movements. FAK-307 (FAK = Frontaufklärungs Kommando) and FAT-365 had, however, heard about these investigations indirectly.

b) To arrange if possible, the release of EBENEZER (Lauwers) and TRUMPET (Jordaan) to FAK-307 and to ensure that the 'Nordpol' agents who had been transferred to Germany should continue to receive the treatment and privileges which had been promised to them by both GISKES and SCHREIEDER.

The interview proved abortive, and GISKES could only obtain from NAUMANN the promise that the condition of TRUMPET and EBENEZER would once be reviewed. NAUMANN then became aggressive saying:

"It should be adequately clear to you (Giskes) that we have no confidence in you. Since the 20th July, we have arrested a good number of Abwehr officers. Do you know that friends of yours were amongst them. I am in agreerent with my colleagues in Paris and Brussels in thinking that you will have to disappear at the earliest opportunity"

GISKES stated that he then terminated the interview. GISKES learned later that NAUMANN's reference to his friends related to Oberst-im-General-Stab Freiherr von RÖNNE, Obkdo. des Heeres, Abtg. Fremde Heere-West and Hptm KLAMROTH, formerly with Abwehr III-F in Copenhagen, both of whom had been arrested and shot after the July Putsch. GISKES was then quite clear in his own mind that his position was extremely delicate, and considered that any intervention on his part in favour of EBENEZER and TRUMPET would have no results. However, in September 1944, he sent HUNTEMANN to Holland to see SCHREIEDER and make enquireies about the arrested 'Nordpol' agents.



                                 Statement by HUNTEMANN in reference to 'Nordpol' agents.

During the course of the first few months of the 'Nordpol' affair, many promises were made to EBENEZER and TRUMPET by the SD at The Hague, and in particular by Krim. Rat. SCHREIEDER, wich, for most part, were not a.hered to.
In addition to the basic promise that they would not be condemned to death, far reaching alleviations were to be made as regards their conditions whilst under arrest. They were to receive better food, longer periods daily in the open air, the time for 'lights-out' at night was not to be enforced, and many small items which I can no longer recall today. Tabacco and a wireless set were also promised to them.
once the co-operation of EBENEZER and TRUMPET in the 'Nordpol' affair was no longer necessary, the SD ceased bothering about either of them. I visited them whenever I happened to be in Haaren and procured for them after much opposition, the radio set which for so long had been promised, and got the definite impression that the SD would not keep to their promises and would rescind their privileges, if .. interest in the two men waned in any way. After FAK-307 went to Brussles I no longer had any opportunity to look after EBENEZER and TRUMPET and I suggested to GISKES that these two men should be brought to Brussles. GISKES agreed and negotiated with SCHREIEDER who turned the matter down, as he was not in a position to release prisoners. Thereupon, GISKES explained to the SD that we needed the two men in Belgium, as agents in connection with a simular type of case. The SD gave their ascent to this and I then informed EBENEZER and TRUMPET, on one of my next visits, that they would shortly be brought over to Brussels, as I was anxious to get them out of the hands of the SD. Moreover, I said that their release from the SD had been achieved under the pretext that they were required as agents for FAK-307. Both stated that under no circumstances would they agree to work against Holland, England or any of their Allies. I told them that I had never expected that they would do anything of the sort, but I siggested to them that, perhaps, there were matters which had a common interest to both parties, i.e. the clearing up of matters connected with Communism. (Klärung Kommunistischer Strömungen). Nevertheless, I said, this matter could be talked about later on and the main pre-occupation at the moment was that they should be got away from the Haaren camp.

(The possibility did exsist at that time that they might be used by FAT-364 against an alleged Communist Group, which however, was not in itself one of the tasks of FAK units. I do not believe, however, that EBENEZER and TRUMPET would have done this work, and for my part, I wanted to get them to Brussels as 'prisoners under protection'. More precise details are not remenbered.)

A few days after I had informed EBENEZER and TRUMPET about this plan, the invasion commenced, and the SD used this as a pretext to remind their promise that the two men would be released. Evidently Brigfu. NAUMANN would not authorise the asment which had al ready been given by SCHREIEDER.
The next time I again heard about EBENEZER and TRUMPET was in September 1944, when on enquiering what had happened to them, SCHREIEDER told me that they had been sent to the Oranienburg concentration camp. (See Annexure VIII) As this was done against all the former SD promises, it resulted in my journey, already mentioned, to this place in an attempt to extridate them, but this did not succeed. I only succeeded in speaking to TRUMPET (Han Jordaan).
SCHREIEDER could not provide me at the time with any information whatever about the fate of the remaining 'Nordpol' prisoners.

                                                                         w.mugge@home.nl