General der Gebirgstruppe Franz Böhme (Franz Boehme)

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11


3rd March 1943 NOTE: The metal Edelweiss flower pinned to the side of his mountain cap. This was worn in conjunction with the Edelweiss arm patch by all German mountain infantry troops. (See pictures below)	Böhme’s prisoner of war photograph from the Public Relations Photo Section, Office of the Chief of Counsel for War Crimes, Nürnberg, Germany

NAME: General der Gebirgstruppe Franz Friedrich Böhme

PW NO: B560393

RANK: General der Gebirgstruppe

CAPTURED: Norway

DATE: 16 Oct 1945

PERSONAL
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 April 1885

PLACE OF BIRTH: Zeltweg/Kreis Judenburg/Steiermark/Austria

DATE OF DEATH: 29 May 1947 (committed suicide in prison)

PLACE OF DEATH: Nürnberg, Germany

NATIONALITY: Austrian

RELIGION: Roman Catholic

OCCUPATION: Regular Soldier

HEIGHT: 5’ 10 ½”

WEIGHT: 176 lbs.

HAIR COLOUR: Grey

EYE COLOUR: Blue-Grey
NEXT OF KIN: British Zone of Austria

Parents: Ernst Friedrich and Maria Ludmilla (née Stremayr) Böhme, died 1902 and 1903 respectively in Leoben, Steiermark.

Wife: Married Romana Maria Hüller von Hüllenried (daughter of Generalmajor Karl Rudolf Hüller von Hüllenried) on 29 June 1929 in Graz.

Brother: Ernst Böhme, State Councillor in Bruck am Mur.

Promotions:

Kadett-Offiziersstellvertreter: 18 August 1904
Leutnant: 1 November 1905
Oberleutnant: 1 November 1911
Hauptmann: 1 May 1915
Major (Titel): 1 July 1920
Oberstleutnant (Titel): 8 July 1921 – with effect from 1 January 1921
Oberstleutnant: 30 December 1926
Oberst: 25 September 1929 – with effect from 1 October 1929
Generalmajor: 24 December 1935
Generalmajor in the German Army: 25 July 1938 – RDA 1 April 1938 (23); RDA later changed to 1 April 1938 (21b)
Generalleutnant: 1 June 1939 (7)
General der Infanterie: 1 August 1940 (4)
Renamed General der Gebirgstruppe: 23 March 1944 – RDA 1 August 1940 (4)

Commands & Assignments:

1892-1896: Attended four classes at the Volksschule (Elementary School) in Villach (Kärnten).
1896-1900: Attended four classes at Gymnasium (High School) in Villach (Kärnten) and Leoben (Steiermark).
1 October 1900-18 August 1904: Zögling [Cadet] in the Infantry Cadet School in Libenau near Graz.
18 August 1904: Entered the Austro-Hungarian Army as a Kadett-Offiziersstellvertreter [Cadet Deputy Officer] and Platoon Commander in Infanterieregiment von Kövess Nr.95.
1 October 1910: Instruction Officer at the One-Year Volunteer School of Infantry Regiment 95, Lemberg.
1 October 1911: Assigned to the War School in Wien.
10 August 1912: Detached for one month from the War School for troop service in Feldkanonenregiment Nr.14.
1 August 1913: Detached for1½ months from the War School for troop service with Dragonerregiment Eugen Prinz von Savoyen Nr.13.
31 July 1914: Assigned to the General Staff.
3 August 1914: Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of Fortress Command Halicz/East Galicia.
6 September 1914: Assigned as a General Staff Officer in the Command of the Royal 38th Hungarian Honved Division.
10 March 1915: Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of the 131st Infantry Brigade.
2 June 1915: Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of the 132nd Infantry Brigade.
1 September 1915: While retaining his previous command, transferred to the General Staff.
24 December 1916: Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of the XXIV Corps Command.
23 February 1917: Chief Supply Officer (Ib) and Intelligence Officer (Ic) in the General Staff of the Prussian General Command for Special Employment 51.
26 May 1917: Operations Officer (Ia) in the General Staff of the Section Command IIa (XXIV Corps).
22 November 1917: General Staff Officer in the Command of the Second Isonzo Army.
25 December 1917: General Staff Officer in the Command of the First Isonzo Army.
22 May 1918: General Staff Officer in the Royal and Imperial Army High Command.
28 August 1918: General Staff Officer of the 1st Infantry Division.
28 December 1918: Transferred to Feldjäger-Bataillon 1.
1919: Transferred to People’s Defence Battalion 6, Bruck II, later, Leoben.
20 September 1920: Accepted into the Austrian Federal Army; assigned as a Platoon Commander in Alpenjäger-Regiment 10.
9 March 1921: Detached provisionally to the 3rd Brigade Command.
16 April 1921: Deputy Chief of Staff of the 3rd Brigade Command, St. Pölten.
1 December 1922: Detached as Officer on Staff of the 5th Brigade Command, Graz.
1 December 1923: Deputy Staff Chief in the 5th Brigade Command, Graz.
1 January 1927: Chief of Staff of the 5th Brigade Command, Graz.
1 April 1928-31 May 1928: At the same time, detached to troop service in the 5th Brigade Artillery Battalion.
1 June 1928-31 October 1929: At the same time, detached to troop service in Steirisches Alpenjägerregiment Feldmarschall Conrad von Hötzendorf Nr.10.
1 February 1930: Director of the Army Administration Office in Eisenstadt.
1 February 1931: Chief of Staff of the 3rd Brigade Command, St. Pölten.
1 September 1932: Instructor at the Military Test Commission for Staff Officers. [Böhme served as Leader of four staff officer courses divided between one course in Linz and Graz and then two courses in Wien.]
1 December 1933: Consultant in the 2nd Department of the Federal Ministry of National Defence.
1 January 1935: Director of Department 1/A (Abwehr or Intelligence Service) of the Federal Ministry of National Defence.
1 June 1935: Director of the Signals Department of the Federal Ministry of National Defence.
14 January 1936: At the same time, detached for nine weeks as an observer to the Italian Forces in Abyssinia during the Campaign in East Africa. [During his time in Abyssinia, Böhme served on the Northern Front at Makalle, Adua, Axum and Takazé and on the Southern Front at Neghelli, Garrahei and Gerlogubi and then flew 3,000 kilometres in an Italian bomber aircraft.]
2 March 1938: At the same time, also named Chief of the General Staff of the Austrian Federal Army.
16 March 1938: Accepted into the German Army and appointed Director of Section III in the Federal Ministry of National Defence.
1 July 1938: Detached to the 23rd Division.
1 August 1938: Officer for Special Employment to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army.
10 November 1938: Infantry Commander 23 and, at the same time, Garrison Senior in Brandenburg/Havel.
1 July 1939: Commander of the 30th Infantry Division.
19 July 1939: Commander of the 32nd Infantry Division. [Böhme’s division took part in the invasions of Poland in September 1939 and France in May-June 1940].
5-28 September 1939: At the same time, delegated with the leadership of II Army Corps.
5 June 1940: Delegated with the leadership of XXXXIII Army Corps. [Böhme assumed temporary leadership of this corps after its commander, General der Artillerie Hermann Ritter von Speck, received command of the XVIII Mountain Army Corps.]
15 June 1940: Delegated with the leadership of XVIII Mountain Army Corps. [Böhme assumed leadership of this corps after its commander, General der Artillerie Hermann Ritter von Speck, was killed in action on 15 June 1940 near Pont sur Yonne, France.]
1 October 1940: Commanding General of XVIII Mountain Army Corps. [Böhme’s corps took part in Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece in April 1941 as a component of the German 12th Army. Consisting of the 2nd Panzer Division, the 5th and 6th Mountain Divisions, the 72d Infantry Division and the reinforced 125th Infantry Regiment, the XVIII Mountain Corps attacked Greece from its assembly area in southern Bulgaria. Launching a frontal attack on the Metaxas Line, Böhme’s corps finally broke through after three days of tough fighting during which each individual group of fortifications had to be reduced by a combination of frontal and enveloping attacks with strong tactical air support. The capture of Salonika by the 2nd Panzer Division and the penetration of the Metaxas Line caused Greek resistance east of the Vardar River to collapse and, on 9 April 1941, the Greek Second Army surrendered unconditionally. The corps continued its advance into Greece capturing Mount Olympus and Larisa in the face of withdrawing British and New Zealand troops. Operating in conjunction with panzer forces, Böhme’s mountain infantry outflanked and forced the withdrawal of British troops defending the Thermopylae Pass on 24-25 April 1941. After occupation duty in Greece and anti-partisan operations in Serbia, the XVIII Mountain Corps returned to Germany by January 1942. The corps then deployed to the Lapland region of Finland in May-June 1942 and took over the Kesten’ga sector where it served for the duration of the German presence in Finland. On 10 December 1943, Böhme handed over corps command to fellow Austrian Generalleutnant (later General der Gebirgstruppe) Karl Eglseer.]

Postwar Prosecution:

Placed on trial by U.S. Military Tribunal, Nürnberg (Case No. 7, “Hostages Trial,” 8 July 1947 to 19 February 1948) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Serbia. However, Böhme committed suicide prior to his arraignment. See the “Web Genocide Centre” internet web site for a transcript of the Hostages Trial at http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/genocide/

Below is an extract from the Web Genocide Centre:

“On 16th September, 1941, Hitler, in a personally signed order, charged the defendant Wilhelm List with the task of suppressing the insurgent movement in the Southeast. This resulted in the commissioning of General Franz Boehme with the handling of military affairs in Serbia and in the transfer of the entire executive power in Serbia to him. This delegation of authority was done on the recommendation and request of the defendant List to whom Boehme remained subordinate. Boehme was shown to have issued orders, dated 25th September and 10th October, 1941, to the units under his command in which he ordered that "the whole population” of Serbia must be hit severely ; and that "In all commands in Serbia all Communists, male residents suspicious as such, all Jews, a certain number of nationalistic and democratically inclined residents are to be arrested as hostages, by means of sudden actions,” and "If losses of German soldiers or Volksdeutsche occur, the territorial competent commanders up to the regiment commanders are to decree the shooting of arrestees according to the following quotas : (a) For each killed or murdered German soldier or Volksdeutsche (men, women or children) one hundred prisoners or hostages, (b) For each wounded German soldier or Volksdeutsche 50 prisoners or hostages.”

Decorations & Awards:

Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 29 June 1940, Generalleutnant, Commander of the 32nd Infantry Division.
German Cross in Gold: 10 February 1944, General der Infanterie, Commanding General of XVIII Mountain Army Corps.
Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class (1914): 12 June 1917.
Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class (1914): 1916.
1939 Clasp to the Prussian Iron Cross, 1st Class: 25 September 1939.
1939 Clasp to the Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd Class: 12 September 1939.
Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd Class with War Decoration and Swords
Austrian Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration and Swords (two awards).
Austrian Silver Military Merit Medal (“Signum Laudis”) on the Ribbon of the Military Merit Cross with Swords
Austrian Bronze Military Merit Medal (“Signum Laudis”) on the Ribbon of the Military Merit Cross with Swords
Austrian Karl Troop Cross
Austrian Military Jubilee Cross: 2 December 1908.
Austrian War Commemorative Medal with Swords: 19 June 1933.
Golden Decoration for Services to the Austrian Republic (Goldenes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich): 23 December 1933 – The decorations of the First Austrian Republic (1918-1938) were not permitted to be worn after the Anschluss (Union) with Germany in March 1938.
Order of the Crown of Italy, Grand Officer: 21 January 1938.
Italian Commemorative Medal for Military Operations in East Africa with Swords (italienisch Erinnerungsmedaille mit dem Schwerten für die militärisch Operationen in Ostafrika)
Bulgarian Military Merit Order, 1st Class with War Decoration: 8 August 1941.
Hungarian Order of Merit, Commander’s Cross: 1936.
Hungarian Order of Merit, Commander’s Cross with Star on the War Ribbon with Swords: 19 June 1941.
Hungarian War Commemorative Medal with Swords
Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st Class with Oakleaf and Swords: 13 May 1943.

General der Gebirgstruppe Böhme’s World War I Combat Service Record:

1914: East Galicia (Royal 38th Hungarian Honved Division): Combat at Halicz and Bolszowce; Second Battle of Lemberg; Combat in the Carpathians at Szinna, Uszoker Pass, Turka and Boryslaw. West Galicia: Battle of Limanova.
1915: East Galicia (in the German South Army): Combat in the Carpathians at Beskiden and Zwinin; Battles of Steryj, Halicz and Tarnopol; Combat on the Strypa River.
1916: East Galicia (in the German South Army): Combat on the Strypa River at Burkanow; Combat on the Zlota-Lipa at Brzezany.
1917: Volhynien-Russia (XXIV Corps): Combat southeast of Vladimir Volynsk (Novi Zagorow). Courland (Prussian General Command for Special Employment 51): Combat at Dünaburg and at Jakobstadt. Italy (XXIV Corps and Second Isonzo Army): 10th, 11th and 12th Isonzo Battles; Advance on the Piave.
1918: Italy (First Isonzo Army): Combat on the Piave River. France (Austrian 1st Division): Defensive Battle on the eastern Maas before Verdun with the Prussian V Reserve Corps.


Date: Unknown	1942 / 1943 NOTE: The "Gebirgsjäger" (Mountain Infantry) arm patch (his right sleeve) was unique to German mountain troops and depicted an Edelweiss flower surrounded by a mountain climbing rope and pitons. The Edelweiss flower is unique to the alpine regions of Europe and has long been associated with German mountain troops. Indeed, the mountain troops of today's German Federal Army still wear this patch	June 1943