Selkirk
Panton was a Daily Express journalist who
covered Berlin, like Louis Lochner and William
Shirer, for twelve years. His papers are in the
National Library of Australia. Attached to the
British Second Army HQ, he witnessed the events
after Himmlers death in May 1945. The
Panton papers contain the original
typed wire messages he sent to
London
from Germany reporting Himmler's death. The
language used is "journalist telegraphese" -
calculated to reduce the number of words charged
for. We reproduce below a transcript of his
handwritten notes, important for their immediacy
and detail.
R Selkirk Panton
Papers, National Library of Australia, MS 5808,
folder 82. Selkirk Panton's
handwritten notes [May 24-27,
1945] Original images [Pdf
file 600 KB] Page 1 1945 R. Selkirk Panton Papers NLA MS 5808 Folder 82 Notebooks, diaries Page 2 - Doenitz - seven pairs underpants
- 3 generals had poison phials
-
- Himmler planned lie low several weeks until
hue & cry died down
- in first flush victory
- Why did he decide kill himself
- Firing squad
- Nerve cracked
- Remained cocky and refused submit detailed
questioning
- Demanded be transferred
- [to] Supreme Command
- Wd not talk underlings
Page 3 - No hard facts
- Himmler claimed if he had been in been
- in Berlin when Hitler died
- he "would have died with him"
- Most prevalent theme +++ & talks
was
- comment menace in future
- relations Russia with
- England & America
- Undecided what to do with
- body burn it
- guard inside none
- outside
- ++++ crooks failure tell
- completely consistent story
- at several quest[ions]
- led downfall
Page 4 - ++++ body on hands
- wondering what to do with it
- Dentist (double underlined)
[DOODLE
at r.h. edge: square with two X's inside it.
A badge?]
- Until later ++++ seeking set
- instructions
- But all day busy
- fingerprints
- looking
-
- Heinrich Himmler shrouded in grey British
army blanket
- was buried secretly in ---
- Himmler's dentist
- Signature 48 pieces
- SS stamps
-
- Doenitz & underpants Reinicke
- (line indicating break)
- Halfeld(?)
- Questionnaire
Page 5 - 2 aides flown 21st Army HQ
- not knowing Himmler's dead.
- We don't know whether they have vial
concealed
- With them went fingerprints
- death mask all records cast of
- teeth
- examined there
- Shaef will get into touch with
- Himmler's widow & brother
- They are also looking for dentist
- Allied command wants
- incontrovertible evidence that
- man secretly buried yest[erday]
was
- Himmler. So far fingerprints
- an admission of identity
- appearance correct replies to
- trick questions comparison of
- his features with photographs including
minute inspection
- of ear his signature - tallied
- with two specimens in possess
- intelligence staff
Page 6 - German people (underlined) [drawing of
British flag in upper right corner and an oval
bisected by a vertical line, on right half of
oval, three small circles]
Not sorry | teasing | Still pro-Hitler | helping us | | discipline | Obsequious | informers | | street | Happy faces in different places | learning speaking English |
- North better than South
- Fear of Russians before contempt
-
- Dressed better taste, hair better
uniformity
- gen. children well dressed well fed
-
- Himmler gave last orders --
- disband underground
- organisations
- No civilians injured
- no warm water etc
-
- Germans playing off one occupying
- power against another.
- Fraternisaiton
- Postal services
-
-
- Himmler's plates
- safer in fjord(?) typhus(?), 260
[cases?] 7 a day [dying?]
- King George's birthday
- SS men Danish territory
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to David Irving