I, EDWARD JOHN KERLING, gives the following voluntary statement to Special Agents JOHN A. HOLTZMAN and D. M. BRIGHTMAN, who have identified themselves as Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I have been made no promises and no duress has been used in order to induce me to make this statement. I make the same freely and voluntary knowing that it can be used against me if necessary.
I was born in Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Rhineland, Germany, June 12, 1909. My father’s name is KASPER KERLING and my mother’s name is WALBEROA. They both reside at Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Rhineland, Germany. My father is a retired director of the South German Railroad Company. During World War #I he served as Lieutenant in the German Army and was wounded in action. I have one sister WALLY. She is married to FRITZ MEYER-HOLSTEIN. My brother-in-law is not in the German Army, but is employed at the I. G. Farbenindustrie.
I graduated from public school and from the Riehl School (high school) in Wiesbaden. I attended Friedburg University for two semesters, which is approximately one and a quarter years, where I studied engineering. At the time I was attending this school, which was in the part of Germany occupied by the British, my parents were evacuated by the British troops into unoccupied Germany.
I left school and came to the United States on the SS DRESDEN. I secured a position with the Dold Packing Company of Brooklyn, working at smoking hams. I remained there two years, then I secured a position with Cohen Brothers Packing house on Greenwich Street, New York City, as shipping clerk. I worked there for about two years. I then secured a position as chauffeur for ELY CULBERTSON, the bridge expert, on his place at Hicksville, Long Island, where I remained for one summer. After that, I secured a position with HENRY DICKS, a uniform manufacturer who had estates at Mt. Kisco, New York and St. Petersburg, Florida. I worked for this man during the summer and winter of 1933.
On October 13, 1931, I married MARIE SIGHARD at the City Hall, New York City. My wife had come to the United States in either 1923 or 1926 from Munich, where her mother presently is residing, being supported on a pension. My wife’s father is dead.
About June, 1933, my wife and I returned to Germany on the SS DEUTSCHLAND, which left from New York City and landed at Hamburg. I worked my over on the boat in the kitchen while my wife went as a tourist passenger.
While in Germany we visited our families. My wife and I returned to New York about September 1933, on the SS DEUSTSCHLAND as tourist passengers. After my return, I secured a position as chauffer with W. J. HOOBON, a banker residing in Greenwich, Connecticut. I worked for this man for two to two and a half years. After this I secured a position VICTOR C. ARMSTRONG, a railroad man living in Short Hills, New Jersey. I worked for this man for about four years, until 1939.
During this time and about June, 1936 I returned to Germany alone on the SS EUROPA to attend the Olympic Games in Berlin. I stayed there about four weeks and returned on the SS BREMEN. My trip over and back was taken as a tourist passenger.
In the latter part of 1939, I and others purchased a boat, LEKALA, a sloop, in Baltimore, Maryland, and sailed it to Florida. It was our intention to return to Germany in this boat but because of restrictions placed upon them were unable to do so and consequently were forced to sell the boat in Miami in May, 1940.
In June, 1940, I returned to Germany on the SS EXOCHRODIA of the American Export Lines via Lisbon, Portugal. After staying from twelve to fourteen days in Lisbon waiting for transportation, I finally flew to Rome, Italy where I took a train to Germany, arriving in Innsbruck on August 3, 1940. I went direct to Berlin looking for a job and got a position with the German Army. I was sent to Deauville, France, where I worked in an army listening post translating records of English broadcasts. I remained there three months, until the project was given up, and then returned to Berlin. I then got a job with the Propoganda Ministry as a “referent” managing German (legitimate stage shows) theatres. I remained there until April, 1942.
About the middle of April, 1942, the exact date I am unable to remember, a man who identified himself as WALTER KAPE came to my office in the German Propoganda Ministry Building located at Fehrbelliner Place #3, Berlin, Germany. KAPE was in civilian clothes and stated that he had a record of me and knew that I had been in America. I imagine he obtained this record from either the police or immigration records where I had been required to register as I entered Germany and when I went to Berlin. KAPPE asked me what I had done while I was in America and I explained my activities in the United States as have been previously in this statement.
KAPPE then asked me if I wanted to return to the United States and I asked him why. He then told me that I would get the necessary information later. I told him that I was not able to get away because of my job and he told me that that would be arranged also. At that time I was making 600 marks a month working for the Propoganda Ministry.
About a week later KAPPE came back to my office and asked me if I would come to the United States on a military mission as a soldier. I asked him what I would do and who else was going. He said I would find out later and I agreed that I would take the assignment thinking that it would involve coming to the United States in uniform, getting a job done and returning to Germany. KAPPE told me he was selecting men for this assignment who had formerly lived in the United States.
After I agreed to come to the United States on this mission, KAPPE gave me his local Berlin address, which I do not now remember and told me to come to that place several days later. I did this, at which time I met KAPPE and GEORGE DASCH. This was in an apartment building, KAPPE occupying top floor apartment, and the building was near Gedesclais ??? Church. KAPPE told DASCH and myself that we would be required to attend a school at Brandenburg, Germany for a special training course. This conversation took place late in the day around the end of April.
Within several days after this conversation, I managed to clean up my affairs at the Propoganda Ministry and went back to KAPPE’s apartment to keep the appointment previously made. At this time the following individuals were also there in addition to KAPPE, who by this time I knew to be a Lieutenant in the German Army: GEORGE DASCH, HERB HAUPT, HERMAN NEUBAUER, THIEL, PETER, last name unknown, HEINRICH, last name unknown, HENRY, last name unknown, SMITH, known to me as Smitty. Besides these individuals, there was a man called DEMPSEY, whose first name I do not know at the present. These last two mentioned persons did not finish the special training course, as set out later in this statement.
This group of eleven, which included myself was taken by Lieutenant KAPPE to an estate outside of Brandenburg located on Quintz lake, which date to the best of my recollection was about May 1.
This estate had a house with living accommodations for ten or twelve individuals, a gymnasium, and a pistol and rifle range. At the time we arrived there, there were several caretakers and a farmer present but no other classes or groups of individuals that I know of. Lieutenant KAPPE did not remain there but returned to Berlin and instructions were taken over by two men known to me as SCHULTER and KOENIG, who were civilians. We were given instructions from nine to twelve A.M. and from two to four P.M. daily.
It is my idea that one of the primary reasons for this school was to enable this group of eleven to become acquainted with each other and learn to like and trust each other and to perfect our English, although we received instructions in German. I might mention that when I inquired about other similar groups, I was informed that this was the first class of its kind.
By way of training we were instructed in the use of explosives, which we called dynamite, time fuses, detonators, and incendiary pencils, necessary to ignite dynamite, and physical training. We were not given specific instructions as to plants or facilities that we were to destroy in the United States, but were told to concentrate on power lines, and that if we were able to destroy railroads and other facilities without injuring or killing anyone, we should do so. our instructions were very definite that we were not to cause the death of any one or injury to any one by explosives and it was explained to us that it would not be of any benefit to Germany but would only serve to arouse the people of the United States against us. The only use to which the incendiary pencils were to be put was to light fuses on the bombs and high explosives. In connection with the destruction of power facilities, we were taken to a factory of the I. G. Farbenindustrie located on the Elbe River in the town of Biesterfeld. At this plant, we were shown the various vital spots in the power supply, which were capable of being sabotaged.
During the course of our training we were also given practical demonstrations of the explosive materials we were to use. This course lasted for a period or two or three weeks. I can’t remember exactly which and during the course the two above-mentioned dropped out since they were not liked and could not get along with the other students.
Upon the completion of the course, we were told to meet in Lieutenant KAPPE’s apartment in Berlin on a particular date, which I do not remember, around the latter part of May, 1942. until this date our time was to be our own and I spent mine with my parents in Wiesbaden-Bisbrich, Rhineland, Germany. On the appointed date in the latter part of May, I met the seven other individuals in KAPPE’s apartment, and at that time the individuals were grouped as follows:
In my group were HAUPT, NEUBAUER, THIEL. In the group headed by GEORGE DASCH were SMITTY, PETER, HEINDRICH, and HENRY. I do not know the last names of any other individuals.
I was given about $2500 in $50 bills which were contained in a money belt and three satchels containing false bottoms which contained a sizeable amount of money which I estimated to be $35,000 although I was never told exactly how much money was in there and I did not count it at that time. I was given charge of the money for my group of four and at the time we arrived in the United States, I turned one of these satchels over to NEUBAUER to care for.
I was also given four or five matches that were capable of producing secret writing no one else in my group got any of these matches. I was told after we became settled and located in the United States I was to communicate by use of these matches with Lieutenant KAPPE in Berlin. The communication was to be effected by using a mail drop address in Lisbon, Portugal, which was furnished to me in secret writing on a white handkerchief. This address, which I do not know from my own memory, was to be produced by putting the handkerchief in ammonia and holding it up to the light. There was also the address of a relative of GEORGE DASCH’s on this handkerchief in secret writing, which I could use to get in touch with DASCH in case I needed assistance from him or any member of his group. ???
I might mention here that we were given a very wide discretion in the use of the money and in the use of explosives contained in the wooden boxes although we were told that we might be able to get help in the United States from individuals there who were sympathetic to the German cause. Although this too was left to our discretion. It was suggested to us that we might obtain jobs in the United States.
Besides the money furnished to us as we left Berlin, I was to receive my regular salary that I had been getting from the Propoganda Ministry, which was 600 marks a month. This was to be credited to my account in Berlin. ???
After all the individuals met in KAPPE’s apartment, we were given our money and other articles and proceeded to Loriente, France by railroad in the company of Lieutenant KAPPE. Loriente is located North of Bordeaux and is on the coast. After we arrived there, we all went to the same hotel, the name of which I do not remember, and remained there [“for approximately two days” struck through and “during the day” inserted and initialed “EK”].
I might also mention that I had been furnished with a Draft Registration card and a Social Security card made out in the name of EDWARD J. KELLY.
During the night of [“about the second day after” struck through and “the same day” inserted and initialed “EK”] we arrived in Loriente, my group of four were taken to the pier and put aboard a submarine, the name of which I do not know, and it is my understanding that GEORGE DASCH and his group of five were to leave sometime later. After we arrived on the submarine, the Captain told us not to ask any questions and assured us tat we would not be asked any questions. It was about a two or three week trip from Germany to the United States, during which time the submarine traveled most of the time on the surface and during which time we did not see any other vessels.
Upon nearing the United States the Captain said that he would land us somewhere below Jacksonville, Florida, and he and I examined a sea chart of the Florida coast and picked out a spot where we landed and where the explosives were later buried. The submarine approached to within a short distance of the shore, passing a [“fishing ??? initialed “EK”] on the way. My group of four and a sailor from the submarine came ashore in a rubber boat bringing with us the four boxes, three satchels containing money and articles of clothing.
Immediately upon arriving on shore, the sailor was taken back to the submarine by means of the rubber boat.
I examined the immediate vicinity where we landed to determine that there were no houses or people around and we then proceeded to bury the four boxes of explosives on the beach.
Subsequent to my arrest and on Thursday, June 25, 1942, I directed Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the spot where the explosives were buried and I was present during the time they were photographed and removed from this spot and identified them as the boxes of explosives which were brought from Germany to the United States. I took this trip from New York to the beach near Jacksonville voluntary and of my own free will, [“signing a predated consent on June 29 th” initialed “EK”]
After we had buried the four boxes containing the explosives, I instructed one of the men to throw the shovel into the water, which was at low tide at the time. We then took off our swimming suits and started for Jacksonville Beach, Florida. At the time the dawn was just breaking, but I do not know what the hour was. We walked along the beach for what I would judge to be an hour or two and then arrived at Jacksonville Beach, and waited around there in our swimming suits until about eleven A.M., when we put our clothes on and caught a bus to Jacksonville, where we arrived about noon. This was on Wednesday, June 17, and NEUBAUER and I immediately separated from HAUPT and THIEL. NEUBAUER and I registered as Michaels and Kelly at the Sheridan Hotel in Jacksonville and HAPUT and THIEL went to another hotel, the name of which I do not know.
During the afternoon on the same day NEUBAUER and I shopped for clothing and other necessary personal articles and we met HAUPT by arrangement that evening. At this time, HAUPT, NEUBAUER and I agreed that HAUPT and THIEL would catch a train the next morning, Thursday, for Cincinnati and THIEL would remain in Cincinnati and HAUPT would then take a train to Chicago. NEUBAUER and I were to wait one more day and leave Jacksonville by train for Cincinnati on Friday morning, and on arriving in Cincinnati, NEUBAUER was to go on to Chicago while I went to meet THIEL at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, June 20, in the restaurant of the Gibson Hotel.
According to this arrangement, THIEL and HAUPT left the following morning and NEUBAUER and myself left at 8:00 A.M. on Friday, June 19. I might state that during the time we were in Jacksonville, I did not meet or contact anybody, nor were we met by anybody on the beach where the submarine landed us.
We arrived in Cincinnati on the morning of June 20, about nine A.M. and it had been determined that NEUBAUER was going on to Chicago that day. I do not know exactly where he was going to stay in Chicago, but he mentioned the Blackstone Hotel, and stated he wanted a hotel employing negroes because they were not as sharp and curious as white people are. It was arranged between NEUBAUER and myself that on July 6, 1942, I was to be registered at the Knickerbockers Hotel in Chicago as EDWARD J. KELLY, and that at ten A.M. on that date NEUBAUER would contact me by telephone and tell me where I could meet him and put me in touch with HAUPT, whose Chicago address was unknown to me.
Upon our arrival in Cincinnati, NEUBAUER and I ate breakfast at the Gibson Hotel, after having checked our bags at the railroad station. We then walked the streets of Cincinnati, attended a show and went to the barber shop. At one o’clock NEUBAUER went to eat and I met THIEL in a restaurant in the Gibson Hotel. THIEL did not tell me where he was staying but said he was living at the hotel under the name of WILLIAM THOMAS. After lunch, THIEL left me and I met NEUBAUER at the post office located about a block from the Gibson Hotel. We went to the [“railroad station” struck through and “ticket??? office” interlined and initialed “EK”] where NEUBAUER got a ticket for Chicago on the New York Central. He was informed he could get on train at nine P.M. that date, Saturday, June 20, and that the train would leave sometime later in the evening and arrive in Chicago at seven A.M. the next day. At this time, NEUBAUER was in possession of HAUPT’s telephone number in Chicago, but I do not know what the number was. I purchased two tickets for New York City on the New York Central Railroad for THIEL and myself, and after we had purchased our tickets we met THIEL by arrangement at 3:30 P.M. in a bar opposite from the post office. We stayed at the bar until about 5:00 P.M. when THIEL went to get his belongings from the hotel and we then went to the railroad station where THIEL and I boarded the train for New York about 6:00 P.M. I might state that during the time we were in Cincinnati we did not contact any other individual and our only reason for going to Cincinnati was to avoid taking a train straight up the East Coast in the United States, since we were under the impression that passenger lines were checked and that we might be questioned if we came up the coastline.
THIEL and I arrived in New York City on Sunday, June 20, and we immediately went to the Commodore Hotel where we registered, which was about noontime. I used the name of EDWARD KELLY and THIEL used the name of WILLIAM THOMAS. I had previously mentioned to NEUBAUER that we might go to the Commodore Hotel to stay. I told him I would use the name of KELLY.
We slept during the afternoon and at five or six ate dinner and then took a subway to Astoria to see HELMUT LEINERT. I have known him for about ten years but I do not know his exact address in Astoria. When we arrived at LEINERT’s, THIEL went to the door and called him out and LEINERT was very surprise to see us. I told him I had been to Mexico instead of Germany and THIEL told him he had been living in Chicago. I asked him about my wife, who was living in New York and working for a family whose name I do not know, but who lived on the East Side. I asked LEINERT if he would contact her and arrange for me to see her the next evening at the Shelton Hotel, Lexington Avenue, near 49 th Street. We stayed with LEINERT until nine or ten o’clock and then returned to the Commodore Hotel and retired.
About noon on Monday, June 22, THIEL and myself arose and after eating went to the movies and then separated and walked around New York. I met THIEL for dinner at a German restaurant located on the west side of Lexington Avenue, near 44 th Street. After dinner we returned to the hotel, read the papers and then went to bed.
On Tuesday, June 23, we stayed at the hotel until about noon and then we separated and went out and walked around town.
That evening I met LEINERT by arrangement at the Hotel Pennsylvania and we walked to Times Square where we ate dinner at the Crossroads Inn. From this place LEINERT called my wife at her place of employment and made arrangements for me to meet her that same evening at the Hotel Shelton.
After dinner, I left LEINERT and met THIEL at the corner of 44 th and Lexington Avenue, at which time he was with an individual whom he introduced to me as TOMI. We talked for a few minutes and had a drink and thereafter I separated from THIEL and TONI and was on my way to meet my wife when I was apprehended by Special Agents of the FBI.
At the time of my apprehension, we were attempting to get located in a place which we could use for a hideout and in this connection I had in the back of my mind a farm in Pennsylvania. We had no specific plans at this time as to any sabotage that we were going to commit, it having been left to our discretion in Germany as to what we would do. It was intended by us that we should get located first and then return to the beach in Florida to get the explosives and put them in a hideout and at that time we could commence our sabotage. This was all in accordance with instructions I had received while in Germany.
At the time of my ["apprehension" struck through and "landing" interlined], I fully intended to follow my instructions and to sabotage power plants and other facilities that might be suitable ???
I might state generally that I had asked KAPPE before I left Germany about getting back to Germany in case we ran into trouble here, and he said it would not be possible to get back by submarine but should try to get to Chile or the Argentine.
With the exception of LEINERT and TONI, no member of the group contacted any individual in the United States to my knowledge.
In addition to the above, I might state that that prior to my last trip to Germany in 1940, I called at the German Consulate in New York and discussed my proposed trip with them. At this time, Mr. MAISCH of the Consulate Office offered to pay my passage to Germany by way of Lisbon, Portugal but inasmuch as I had sufficient money to pay for the passage, I refused his offer. After my arrival in Berlin I was paid the full amount. While in Germany I was not a member of the Nazi Party nor was I a member prior to my departure for Germany. While in Germany and while I was employed by the Propoganda Ministry, I was a member of the German Labor Front.
I have read this statement consisting of nine pages, and have initialed each page, and it is all true to the best of my knowledge. I have affixed my signature to the last page to signify the truth of this statement.
(signed) E Kerling