Kurt Simon was a first-line cousin of my late father Robert Simon, as their respective fathers were brothers.
In 2005 Kurt mailed to me an experience he had immediately after the Second World War, probably in or in the vicinity of the German town of Leipzig, when he learned that my wife and I were going to stay over in that town on our way from Amsterdam to the Polish town of Krakow.
This is my recollection of what Kurt wrote:
I was in the U.S. Army and was commissioned to gather information and help out as an interpreter right after the war in post-war Germany. One day I was confronted with a group of German POW’s which I had to interrogate.
All of them initially played down their role in the German war machinery. I let them know how despicable we found the nazis but that there was one special group that seemed to command respect for their loyalty and toughness, namely the SS.
Immediately several of the men came forward and said they had been members of that organization. And thus we were able to give those some “special” attention……………
Kind regards,
Peter Simon
Amsterdam / Netherlands