Knud Børge Martinsen
Encyclopedia
Knud Børge Martinsen was a Danish
officer
and the third commander of Frikorps Danmark
.
. In 1940 he was attending the general staff
course on Frederiksberg Palace
and was looking forward to a promising career.
The Occupation of Denmark
on April 9, 1940 was a big shock to him but on April 26, 1940 he joined the Danish National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark (DNSAP) and he took part of several demonstrations in his uniform which ended up in his military papers and prevented a further career move. He therefore resigned and joined the Waffen-SS
and commanded Frikorps Danmark
's 2nd company under Christian Peder Kryssing
and the 4th company under Christian Frederik von Schalburg
. Actually Martinsen was temporarily commander of Frikorps Danmark between Kryssing's resignation and von Schalburg's appointment.
Martinsen was again temporarily commander between von Schalburg's death and Hans Albert von Lettow-Vorbeck's appointment. When von Lettow-Vorbeck was killed only two days after his appointment, Martinsen took over as commander and remained as commander until the disbandment of Frikorps Danmark on May 20, 1943. Together with most of Frikorps Danmark he was transferred to SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 24 Danmark under 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
.
July 28, 1943 Martinsen left his command and returned to Denmark to establish and command the Schalburg Corps
as a recruitment unit for the Waffen-SS. In October 1944 he was relieved from his position and then arrested and imprisoned in Gestapo
's prison in Berlin
. Later he was transferred to the Sicherheitsdienst
where he escaped and returned to Denmark.
May 5, 1945 Martinsen was arrested in his home and sentenced to death and shot for his involvement in the Schalburg Corps
and two murders including an incident where he shot and killed one of his fellow officer colleagues in the Schalburg Corps, Kurt von Eggers, because he believed that he had committed adultery with Martinsen's wife.
He was executed by firing squad in Copenhagen
at 1 am on 25 June 1949.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and the third commander of Frikorps Danmark
Frikorps Danmark
Free Corps Denmark was a Danish volunteer free corps created by the Danish Nazi Party in cooperation with Germany, to fight the Soviet Union during the Second World War. On June 29, 1941, days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the DNSAP's newspaper Fædrelandet proclaimed the creation...
.
Biography
Knud Børge Martinsen was born in Sandved in 1905 and became a soldier in 1928. After only ten years of service he was an officer with a rank of Captain LieutenantCaptain Lieutenant
Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of different navies worldwide.It is generally equivalent to the Commonwealth or US rank of lieutenant, and has the NATO rank code of OF-2, though this can vary....
. In 1940 he was attending the general staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
course on Frederiksberg Palace
Frederiksberg Palace
Frederiksberg Palace is a Baroque residence, located in Frederiksberg, Denmark, adjacent to the Copenhagen Zoo. It commands an impressive view over Frederiksberg Park, originally designed as a palace garden in the Baroque style...
and was looking forward to a promising career.
The Occupation of Denmark
Occupation of Denmark
Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung on 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew at the end of World War II following their surrender to the Allies on 5 May 1945. Contrary to the situation in other countries under German occupation, most Danish...
on April 9, 1940 was a big shock to him but on April 26, 1940 he joined the Danish National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark (DNSAP) and he took part of several demonstrations in his uniform which ended up in his military papers and prevented a further career move. He therefore resigned and joined the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
and commanded Frikorps Danmark
Frikorps Danmark
Free Corps Denmark was a Danish volunteer free corps created by the Danish Nazi Party in cooperation with Germany, to fight the Soviet Union during the Second World War. On June 29, 1941, days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the DNSAP's newspaper Fædrelandet proclaimed the creation...
's 2nd company under Christian Peder Kryssing
Christian Peder Kryssing
Christian Peder Kryssing , commonly known as C.P. Kryssing, was a Danish artillery officer and an ardent anti-communist but not a member of the Danish Nazi party, DNSAP....
and the 4th company under Christian Frederik von Schalburg
Christian Frederik von Schalburg
Christian Frederik von Schalburg was a Danish army officer and the second commander of Free Corps Denmark.-Biography:...
. Actually Martinsen was temporarily commander of Frikorps Danmark between Kryssing's resignation and von Schalburg's appointment.
Martinsen was again temporarily commander between von Schalburg's death and Hans Albert von Lettow-Vorbeck's appointment. When von Lettow-Vorbeck was killed only two days after his appointment, Martinsen took over as commander and remained as commander until the disbandment of Frikorps Danmark on May 20, 1943. Together with most of Frikorps Danmark he was transferred to SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 24 Danmark under 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
.
July 28, 1943 Martinsen left his command and returned to Denmark to establish and command the Schalburg Corps
Schalburg Corps
The Schalburg Corps was a Danish volunteer army corps and a branch of the Germanic-SS. Named after Christian Frederik von Schalburg, commander of the Free Corps Denmark who was killed in combat operations in the Demyansk Pocket in 1942...
as a recruitment unit for the Waffen-SS. In October 1944 he was relieved from his position and then arrested and imprisoned in Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
's prison in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Later he was transferred to the Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
where he escaped and returned to Denmark.
May 5, 1945 Martinsen was arrested in his home and sentenced to death and shot for his involvement in the Schalburg Corps
Schalburg Corps
The Schalburg Corps was a Danish volunteer army corps and a branch of the Germanic-SS. Named after Christian Frederik von Schalburg, commander of the Free Corps Denmark who was killed in combat operations in the Demyansk Pocket in 1942...
and two murders including an incident where he shot and killed one of his fellow officer colleagues in the Schalburg Corps, Kurt von Eggers, because he believed that he had committed adultery with Martinsen's wife.
He was executed by firing squad in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
at 1 am on 25 June 1949.