Willi Herold
Willi Herold | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 September 1925 Lunzenau, Saxony, Weimar Republic |
| Died | 14 November 1946 (aged 21) Wolfenbüttel Prison, Allied-occupied Germany |
| Cause of death | Execution by guillotine |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Luftwaffe Reich Labour Service |
| Years of service | 1943-1945 |
| Rank | Obergefreiter |
| Unit | 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division |
| Known for | Executing 200 prisoners, bluffing to be a Luftwaffe captain |
Willi Herold (11 September 1925 – 14 November 1946), also known as the Executioner of Emsland, was a Nazi German war criminal. Near the end of the Second World War in Europe, Herold deserted from the German Army and, posing as a Luftwaffe captain, organized the mass execution of German deserters held at a prison camp. He was arrested by British forces and executed for war crimes on 14 November 1946 at Wolfenbüttel Prison.