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Volume II · Page 631
| TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT
NO-262 PROSECUTION EXHIBIT 119 |
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| LETTER FROM DR.
HIPPKE TO SS OBERGRUPPENFUEHRER WOLFF. 6 MARCH 1943, CONCERNING RASCHER'S TRANSFER TO THE WAFFEN SS |
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| The Inspector of the Medical Service of the Luftwaffe | |
| Berlin W 8, Leipziger Street 7, 6 March 1943 | |
| File No. 2299–43 secret Inspectorate | |
| Dear Obergruppenfuehrer Wolff!
State Secretary Milch has given me your letter of 21 November last year — Diary No. 1426/42 top secret — regarding the release of Stabsarzt of the Luftwaffe Dr. Rascher to the Waffen SS. I am prepared to release Stabsarzt Dr. Rascher from the Luftwaffe, even after the Reich Physician of the SS, SS Gruppenfuehrer Dr. Grawitz explained to me that he was unable to give me a replacement; I shall put him at the disposal of the Waffen SS if Rascher himself desires this release. I shall ask him about that. Your conception that I, as the responsible director of all medical-scientific research work, would have been opposed to the chilling experiments on human beings and so retarded their development is erroneous. I immediately agreed to the experiments, because our own previous experiments on large animals were concluded and supplementary work was necessary. It is also highly improbable that I, who is responsible for the development of all possibilities for rescuing our airmen, would not do everything possible to further such work. When Rascher explained his wishes to me, I agreed with him immediately. The difficulties, Mr. Wolff, lie in an entirely different sphere: it is a question of vanity on the part of individual scientists, every one of whom personally wants to bring out new research results, and very often it is only with great effort that they can be led to work unselfishly for the common good. None of them is without guilt in this respect; Rascher is not either. If Rascher wants to build up his own research institute within the framework of the Waffen SS, I have no objection. All research work within the field of aviation medicine — that is, altitude — moreover, is under my scientific supervision in my capacity as director of German aviation medicine. This institute would then be under the supervision of the Reich Physician of the SS, SS Gruppenfuehrer Dr. Grawitz. Momentarily, however, this work cannot be carried on because |
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