War Crimes Trial: Franz Strasser

Identifier
irn1003026
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2002.541.1
  • RG-60.3550
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • English
  • German
Source
EHRI Partner

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Colonel Raymond Ernst Zickel became a reserve officer in 1922 during World War I, entered service as a major in June 1941, and graduated from the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, KS. He went to England in September 1943, and then to France in August 1944 as commanding officer of the 307th Quartermaster Battalion. After participating in action in northern France, the Rhineland, the Battle of the Bulge, and Germany, Colonel Zickel was assigned to the first military commission to sit at the Dachau camp. He returned to the United States in November 1945 where he practiced as a lawyer. Zickel was on active military duty in California ready to deploy to Korea when he passed away at 51.

Scope and Content

Summary: Austrian Franz Strasser is tried for the murder of Lt E Warren Woodruff and an unknown airman. His testimony is in German. Cpl. Henry Halperin is the interpreter for all witnesses; Sgt. Sessler interprets for Franz Strasser. The six-officer Army Military Commission included Capt. Victor Miles, Lt. Harvey Szanger, and Col. Raymond E. Zickel. Reel 4: Prosecutor reading (incomplete). Commission, defense listening; courtroom views; Strasser testifying (mismatched track; picture goes black). Prosecutor questioning Strasser; pan between defense, prosecution. Pusch testifying (sound is mismatched). Strasser, interpreters hearing verdict, sentenced to hanging. Commissioners leaving; Strasser sitting at table, unemotional.

Note(s)

  • AAFCS caption sheet available at NARA. For transcript, see NARA RG-153: Records of the JAG (Army), International Affairs Division, War Crimes Branch, Case 8-27. See also Stories 3547-3550, Film ID 2514 and Stories 3551-3554, Film ID 2515 for more footage of this trial.

Subjects

Places

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.