August Becker was born on 17 August 1900 in Staufenberg in the German state of Hesse.
11 Facts About August Becker
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August Becker was inducted into the German Army towards the end of World War I Afterwards, Becker studied chemistry and physics at the University of Giessen where, in 1933, he earned a PhD degree in chemistry.
3.
At his trial on 4 April 1960, August Becker testified that in May 1935 he was assigned to the SS-regiment "Germania" at Bad Arolsen, a small resort town near Kassel, the major city in the northern part of the German state of Hesse, in central Germany.
4.
August Becker remained with this regiment up to 28 February 1938.
5.
August Becker remained with RSHA Amt VI until December 1939, when, shortly before Christmas, he received an order by telephone to report to Oberfuhrer Victor Brack in the Reich Chancellery.
6.
In October 1941, August Becker was used again in the Central Reich Security Office and assigned to department II D 3 A under Friedrich Pradel.
7.
August Becker later testified that when, in December 1941, he was transferred to Rauff's command, Rauff explained to Becker that the plan was to gas people rather than shoot them, because the psychological burden of so many shootings could no longer be borne by the killers.
8.
August Becker stayed with Einsatzgruppe D until the beginning of April 1942, when he returned to Einsatzgruppe A at Riga.
9.
August Becker continued sending messages to Rauff regarding the efficacious use of the gas vans through the middle of 1942.
10.
August Becker was condemned to ten years prison, but on 15 July 1960, due to his bad state of health he was released from detention and admitted to the home for the elderly at Butzbach.
11.
When in 1967, the State Criminal Court in Stuttgart sent a summons to August Becker, it turned out that August Becker had been taken out of the Butzbach home on 3 January 1966 by persons unknown, and his current whereabouts could not be determined.