War Crimes Trials - Vol. II The Belsen Trial. 'The Trial of Josef Kramer and Forty Four Others'

(31) DEPOSITION OF BOHUMIL GRUHMANN (Czech, aged 40)

3. On 5th April, 1945, I was one of a party of about 650 prisoners of mixed nationalities who set out to march to Belsen (from Kleinbodungen). S.S. man Franz Stofel, whom I identify as. No. 3 on photograph 7, was in charge of the party, the second in charge was the said S.S. man Dorr. There were also about 40 other S.S. men. The march lasted, I think, until the 9th April, and we traveled through Herzberg, Braunschweg, Peine and Celle.

4. On the evening of 5th April, near a stable somewhere between Herzberg and Braunschweg, I saw the said Dorr shoot two of six men who had escaped from a party of prisoners from Nordhausen. The bodies were buried near the stable.

5. Next morning the said Dorr shot the other four men, and their bodies were left underneath some straw in the stable.

6. From that time onwards the said Dorr began to shoot all stragglers. All the prisoners had been able to keep the pace during the first two days but by this time some had trouble with their feet and they were being given lifts in hand-drawn carts. Whenever the said Dorr caught them doing so, or straggling behind, he shot them, usually just off the road, in a wood or space, and left the bodies where they were shot. I cannot remember exact details of each individual shooting, but I saw him shoot at least 46 prisoners in all. The other S.S. men did not take part in the shooting nor did the said Stofel, though he did see Dorr shoot the prisoners and made no objection. The only prisoner I can identify was a Frenchman named Marcelli, who came from Paris.

8. I calculate. that some 65 men in all were killed during this march, 5 escaped. If I was taken along the route I followed, I think I could point out the various places at which men were shot by Dorr and where their bodies can be found.