Derek Knee

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Derek Knee
Captain Derek Knee (third from left) at the arrival of the delegation for the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath, 3 May 1945.
Born	(1922-10-22)22 October 1922 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Died	18 March 2014(2014-03-18) (aged 91)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Captain
Unit	Dorsetshire Regiment
Battles/wars	World War II

Captain Derek Knee (22 October 1922 – 18 March 2014) was a

Early life and service in World War II

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Knee attended

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German Surrender

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On 2 May 1945 Knee was told to report to Field Marshal Montgomery’s 21st Army Group Tactical Headquarters on Lüneburg Heath the next day where a German delegation arrived with a letter from Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel which he translated for Montgomery. He reported that they did not have the authority to agree to the unconditional surrender terms stipulated by Montgomery and they were provided with a lunch with wine and brandy. The next day they returned with another delegate and signed the surrender document in a carpeted tent witnessed by war correspondents. Knee was later directed to travel to Flensburg to take Karl Dönitz into custody and transport him to the airport. Upon his return to Lüneburg he saw the body of Heinrich Himmler who had committed suicide in British custody.

Later life

Upon his return to his studies at Cambridge University Knee switched to an Economics course and he became assistant general secretary at the International Association of Department Stores in Paris and Geneva. Upon his retirement he moved to Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. He was married with two sons.^[1][2]

See also

• German surrender at Lüneburg Heath

References