21 August 1961 · Guards who fled
Under the wire on the sewage fields between control points 3 and 4
At 9.10 p.m. on 21 August 1961 a riot-police post leader born in 1942, on duty on the sewage fields between control points 3 and 4, said he needed to relieve himself, pushed up the border wire and crawled through, taking his submachine gun and the post's logbook with him.
On the evening of 21 August 1961 Unterwachtmeister Klaus D., born 1942, of the signals platoon of the 4th Bereitschaft from Magdeburg, was on duty as post leader on the sewage fields between control points 3 and 4.
At 9.10 p.m. he told his partner that he needed to relieve himself and went into the fields. According to the East Berlin police journal, while the other guard walked on, he pushed the wire up and crawled underneath. A West Berlin police radio car picked him up on the other side.
He took his submachine gun with 40 rounds, a police truncheon and the post's logbook, kept since June 1961. The Stasi report of the same day recorded the same desertion under the 'toilet' pretext, with the gun and 40 rounds, between control points 3 and 4 at Schildow.
Sources
- Stab Präsidium der Volkspolizei Berlin, Abt. Information – Journal der Handlung, 21 August 1961Chronik der Mauer (document: Landesarchiv Berlin, C Rep. 303/26.1/239)
- Jahrgang 1961: Lage nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer (5) – Bericht Nr. 470/61, 21. August 1961Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv (DDR im Blick)
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Related escapes
23 August 1961
A train on the bridge: a guard slips away at control point 4
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16 August 1961
Ulrich H. goes into the bushes and does not come back
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Günter D. crawls under the wire while his partner sleeps
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