Diekmann, Adolf, born on 08-12-1914 in Magdeburg
, was the battalion commander, SS-nr.: 309 984, from 18-05-1933, of Division Das Reich, nickname “Wolfsangel”
, who was the highest ranking officer present at Oradour-sur-Glane on 10-06-1944 the day that 642 men, women and children were murdered and the whole town was destroyed by fire. Together with SS Obersturmbahnführer, Commander of SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment 4 “Der Führer”, Otto Weidinger,















When Stadler heard about the massacre and the destroying of Oradour. he reported Diekmann to Brigadeführer Heinz Lammerding,
Lammerding died age 65, on 13-01-1971 in Dusseldorf and requested that Diekmann be court martialled for exceeding his orders.

Death and burial ground of Diekmann, Adolf Rudolf Reinhold.




Diekmann a dedicated father here with son Rainer, was court martialled but never brought to trial since he was killed in action a few weeks later, on 29-06-1944. His fellow officers said that Diekmann was distraught; they believed that Diekmann committed suicide by deliberately getting himself killed in battle. Robert Hebras,
one of the 5 survivors of the Laudy barn, wrote a book called “Oradour-sur-Glane, the Tragedy Hour by Hour,” in which he described Diekmann as a “blood-thirsty man” and said that “Major Diekmann was a man whose callousness had earned him the reputation of a cold, cruel butcher, and a drunkard besides.” The commander of “Der Führer” (see Adolf Hitler) (did you know) Battalion 3, who was kidnapped by members of the FTP, the French Communist resistance, on 09-06-1944. The SS soldiers claimed that the reason for going to Oradour-sur-Glane on 10-06-1944 was to look for Kämpfe, an officer who was very well liked and a close friend of Adolf Diekmann
. On the day of the massacre, Diekmann had been given information about Kämpfe by two collaborators in the Milice, (see Joseph “Jo” Darnand)









Diekmann was married to Hedwig Meinde (12-02-1940) and their son was born, named Rainer (11-03-1942). In 2014 the then 72 years old son of Adolf Diekmann, Dr. Rainer Diekmann
was suitably disgusted, “sick to the stomach”. He said he had never traveled to Oradour – German leaders and, to the extent they survive, former combatants have been familiar visitors to French soil for the various war commemorations – because he was “ashamed to be the son of such a man”.

Near his father’s grave are also buried Panzer Ace Hauptsturmführer der Waffen SS, Zugführer 13 SS Panzer Regiment 1 “LSSAH”, Michael Wittmann
and his crew. Also the Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur der 6th Infanterie Division
, Arnold von Biegeleben, Generalmajor der Infanterie, Chef der ST Panzergruppe West, Sigismund Edler von Dawans and Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Kommandeur 326th Infanterie Division
, Victor Drabich Waechter.





