Knud Børge Martinsen
Knud Børge Martinsen (born November 30, 1905 in Sandved , † June 25, 1949 in Christianshavn ) was a Danish officer and as a member of the Waffen-SS commander of the Frikorps Danmark during the Second World War .
Life
Knud Børge Martinsen was born the son of the tailor Hans Kristian Martinsen and his wife Ottilia Marie von Poulsen.
In 1928 he became a soldier in the Danish Army (Danish Hæren ) and ten years later held the rank of captain . In 1940 he was a participant in a general staff course at Frederiksberg Castle .
The German occupation of Denmark on April 9, 1940 came as a shock to him, although he joined the DNSAP on June 26 and took part in several party demonstrations in uniform. His pro-German stance was frowned upon in the Danish military and so he joined the Waffen SS . He commanded the 2nd Company of the Frikorps Danmark under Christian Peder Kryssing and later the 4th Company under Christian Frederik von Schalburg . Between Kryssing's resignation and von Schalburg's appointment, he was briefly in command of the Frikorps.
Between the death of Schalburg and the appointment of Hans Albert von Lettow-Vorbeck , Knud Børge Martinsen was again temporarily in command. When von Lettow-Vorbeck was killed just two days after his appointment, Martinsen took over command and remained in command until the dissolution of the Frikorps Danmark on May 20, 1943. Together with most of the Frikorps, he was transferred to the 11th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division "Nordland" . Most recently he held the rank of Obersturmbannführer .
On July 28, 1943, he returned to Denmark to found and command a recruiting unit for the Waffen SS. In October 1944 he was released and held in the Berlin Gestapo prison. He was later transferred to the security service , after which he fled and returned to Denmark.
On May 5, 1945, Martinsen was arrested as a collaborator at his home . He was also charged with two murders.
Martinsen was sentenced to death and executed by shooting on June 25, 1949 in Bådsmandsstræde barracks in Christianshavn, Copenhagen .
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st class
- Infantry Assault Badge
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fødte Mandkøn . In: Kirkebog Hårslev (= 1892–1906) 1905, p. 28.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Martinsen, Knud Børge |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Danish officer, most recently SS-Obersturmbannführer of the Waffen-SS and commander of the Frikorps Danmark in World War II |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 30, 1905 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sandved |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 25, 1949 |
| Place of death | Christianshavn , Copenhagen |