Garry

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I posted this on Axis history so I'm stealing it back :) It's a short account of what happened to Axmann between his leaving the bunker and being captured on the 5th of December 1945.

Axmann left the bunker 30 hours after Hitler's death and his plan was to reach Dönitz in Plön. He travelled NW through Berlin (later under the name Siewert after meeting a civilian who accompanied him but did not recognise him) and out into Mecklenburg. In the village of Lansen he was taken in by a farmer's wife. He was worried that his presence there may cause problems for the family but this proved not to be the case. She also was unaware of Axmann's true identity. His friend left for home and Axmann remained with the family in Lansen from mid-May until Autumn 1945.

Around this time two men in civilian clothing (ex-Estonian SS men) came to the farmhouse. They recognised Axmann who took them in and gave them food. In return they prepared an identity document for him and promised not to reveal his true identity and location. Axmann later decided to break out to the West. He was assisted in this by the local mayor who provided him with money and food. In return Axmann promised to pass on a message to the mayor's daughter assuring her that he was alive and well. Axmann had also promised to take messages west for the farmer's family.

Axmann reached Berlin and managed to get a train travelling west. This train took him to Braunschweig and from there he travelled (on foot and by coach) to Gelsenkirchen. Here he passed on the messages and then moved north to Lübeck to try and make contact with a former BDM Gebietsmädelführerin. This was successful. Whilst there he also met up with Gustav Memminger, a former member of Axmann's RJF staff who was able to tell him that Axmann's mother was alive and well. From Lübeck he moved to Lauenburg where he was able to pass on the mayor's message to his daughter. The family expressed the wish to travel to Berlin to be with the father.

From Lauenburg Axmann and the mayor's family travelled to Hornburg in Niedersachsen and prepared to re-enter the soviet-controlled zone again. After a near miss with a group of Russians the group moved on to Mecklenburg and then Lansen. Leaving a grateful family, Axmann made the return journey to the west. In December 1945 and after meeting two more members of his RJF staff, Axmann travelled anonymously to München in an attempt to reach his mother in Oberstaufen. This was successful. Whilst there he met up with further members of his RJF staff including Memminger and also a man called Ebeling who had worked in a Hitler Youth office. Leaving his mother in good hands Axmann, Memminger and Ebeling decided to travel to northern Germany. Shortly after beginning this journey on the 15th of December 1945 the group was stopped by an American patrol in the Kempten-Memmingen area and all were taken into custody. It transpired years later that Ebeling's polish lover (who worked for the american secret service) had revealed Axmann's location.

Axmann was questioned about Hitler's death and Bormann's whereabouts. The next day he was taken to the prisoner camp at Oberursel near Frankfurt where he stayed until October 1946. He later spent time at 'Civilian Internment Camp No 5 - Staumühle' near Paderborn.

During the initial breakout from the bunker he took some shrapnel from artillery shells and often had to avoid indirect and direct fire from russian infantry and tanks. Whilst still with the Bormann group, Axmann and his group were stopped by Russians who searched them but did not recognise who they actually had. The Russians took them for Volkssturm and let them go.

Source: Axmann's autobiography.
 
Really interesting Garry, thanks for posting it.

Never tried/thought Axmann to hide in South America?

Regards

Antonio
 
Really interesting , thank you for posting Garry .
 
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