Gerd von Blottnitz

Gerd von Blottnitz (* 1936 in Berlin ) is a former German - South African mercenary during the Simba rebellion in the Congo .

Life

According to their own information, von Blottnitz descends from the noble family Bloch von Blottnitz. His father was a captain in the Wehrmacht . After the expulsion from Elbląg , the family settled in Lower Saxony . In 1949 the family emigrated to South Africa, where they bought a farm the following year. After studying in South Africa, Gerd von Blottnitz returned to the Federal Republic and joined the Air Force . There he was, according to his own words, employed by the flying staff for a year and a half and attended officers' school. To avoid a longer obligation, von Blottnitz returned to South Africa.

When the Congolese government recruited mercenaries after the outbreak of the Simba rebellion in 1964, von Blottnitz became a sergeant in the 52nd command . The mercenary unit led by Siegfried Müller had a strength of 50 men. In January 1965 von Blottnitz became paymaster in the 5th command from Mike Hoare , the unit higher than the 52nd command . In autumn 1965 von Blottnitz was suspected of stealing the wages of the 5th Command . Von Blottnitz had made a weekend trip from the station Albertville to Leopoldville . In order not to have to leave the cash unattended, he had smuggled it on board the Lockheed C-130 of the US Air Force and declared it as an American officer's luggage, which almost led to diplomatic disagreement between the US and the Congo government. Von Blottnitz was exonerated from the charge of theft in court proceedings, but warned.

The wider public was von Blottnitz in 1965 by its appearance in the GDR - propaganda film command 52 of Walter Heynowski known where he the star - reporter Gerd Heidemann described his life.

literature

• Christian Bunnenberg: The "Congo miller". A German mercenary career (Europa-Übersee; Vol. 19). Lit-Verlag, Münster 2006, ISBN 978-3-8258-9900-4 , pp. 48-58

Movie

• Walter Heynowski: Command 52 , DEFA 1965

Web links

• Siegfried Müller and Command 52 , accessed on December 20, 2017
• List of names of Congo mercenaries (English, von Blottnitz is listed under Volunteers from 5 Commando ), accessed on January 5, 2014
• Verbatim transcript of the propaganda film "Kommando 52" with statements by Gerd von Blottnitz , accessed on December 20, 2017

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.defa.de/cms/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=412&FilmID=Q6UJ9A004QLX
2. ↑ http://www.kriegsreisen.de/relktionen/kongo-mueller.htm
3. ↑ http://www.mercenary-wars.net/congo/list-of-congo-soldiers.html
4. ↑ Mike Hoare: Congo Mercenary, Paladin Press, Boulder / Colorado 2008, ISBN 978-1-58160-639-3 , p. 173
5. ↑ Mike Hoare: Congo Mercenary, Paladin Press, Boulder / Colorado 2008, ISBN 978-1-58160-639-3 , pp 246-247
6. ↑ http://www.defa.de/cms/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=412&FilmID=Q6UJ9A004QLX