Knud Børge Martinsen

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Knud Børge Martinsen
November 30, 1905 - June 25, 1949
Place of birth	Sandved
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1941 - 1945
Rank	Obersturmbannführer
Commands held	Frikorps Danmark, Jun 2, 1942 - Jun 9, 1942 Frikorps Danmark, Jun 11, 1942 - May 20, 1943

Knud Børge Martinsen (November 30, 1905 - June 25, 1949) was a Danish officer and the third commander of Frikorps Danmark.

[edit] Biography

Knud Børge Martinsen was born in Sandved in 1905 and became a soldier in 1928. After only ten years of services he was an officer with a rank of Captain Lieutenant. In 1940 he was attending the general staff course on Frederiksberg Palace and were 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 believes that he has committed adultery with Martinsen's wife.